Rosebuds and Dewdrops
by IdunAurora
Summary: The 50th annual Contest Spectacular is coming up, and ready to return to the stage, former star coordinators Wallace and Althea agree to host the event. Seeing each other again after spending years apart, however, sparks life into flames that have been sleeping in their hearts. Has their time finally come? Wallace x OC. Rated T just in case.
1. Chapter 1 - A Rose in the Garden

Chapter 1 – A Rose in the Garden

Dawn. The first rays of the sun spread their golden light over the lush, green meadow, making the dewdrops shimmer like stars. The dazzling roses awoke from their sleep, stretching their petals and embracing the morning light. As the sun rose higher, its rays crept closer to a beautiful seaside villa by the glimmering shore. The rays crept through a window to slowly light up a beautiful bedroom.

Reaching a bed, the sun's rays tickled the eyelids of a young woman with long wavy hair, lush and green as the grass outside. Feeling the warmth on her face, she smiled contently to herself. It was time to greet another day.

Having showered and got dressed, Althea sat down on the terrace with a cup of tea and took in the scent of her rose garden in the early morning. She smiled contently to herself. For many years, she had been a star at Pokémon Contests, winning a world-record number of ribbons and mentoring hundreds of aspiring coordinators. Soon, she decided to start mentoring full-time and withdrew from the stage, occasionally guest-starring as a judge or a hostess. A few years ago, she had decided to retire from the world of contests altogether. She sold her house in Lilycove City and went to live on the island where her villa was located, just half an hour boat ride away from Evergrande City.

Althea took a sip of her tea and let the moment embrace her. She was content here. Even though she loved contests, it was a busy place to be, and she felt she needed some peace and quiet. Granted, journalists and reporters constantly visited the island to ask her when and if she was going to return to the stage, but she always said she had given the stage to the next generation of coordinators and wasn't going to return. Instead, she focused on another one of her passions…

"Roserade!"

"Good morning to you, too, Rosemary." Althea smiled and giggled slightly as the elegant Pokémon twirled around in excitement of the lovely weather.

"Rose, Rose!"

"Roselia!"

"My, my, aren't you sweeties happy today!" Althea chuckled as all the small Roselias joined Rosemary's morning dance. The rose-Pokémon had always been fond of the island, and she was more than happy to care for the colony of Roselias that inhabited it. Rosemary the Roserade was her first Pokémon and life-long companion that had been by her side ever since it was a tiny Roselia. Althea therefore felt she had a natural connection with the rose-Pokémon, and on the top of it all, she loved roses in general. Her garden was filled with red and white roses, filling the air with a lovely fragrance all year round.

Althea took a sip of her tea and gazed over the sea to the high-climbing rocks upon which Evergrande City stood. In the distance, she could see the majestic waterfall crash down into the ocean, creating a dream-like mist above the otherwise calm water. She sighed contently and leaned back in her chair, going through her plans for the day in her head. Take the boat to Evergrande to get some supplies she had ordered from Lilycove Department Store, tend to the Pokémon and the garden, cook, call a friend in Unova…

"Rose, Roserade!"

Althea snapped out of her thoughts and shifted her focus to Rosemary, who was pointing at the mailbox down by the dock. The flag had been erected, which meant the mail boat had actually delivered a letter before sunrise. A bit baffled, Althea went to grab the letter from the rose-covered box. She hardly ever received snail-mail to the island; almost all correspondence was done electronically. A physical letter was a rarity.

Walking back to her terrace, Althea examined the envelope. It was a lighter shade of pink and shimmering. A small golden and ruby replica was fastened on the front. That could only mean it was from…

"The Contest Spectacular Board… but why?" she murmured out loud to herself and sat down again, a bit puzzled. Roserade came to stand by her side as she proceeded to open the envelope and unfolded the letter. It read:

 _Dear Miss Althea,  
This year will be the 50th year anniversary of the annual Contest Spectacular in Hoenn, and contestants from every region will participate in this exciting event. It will be the grandest, most amazing and extravagant Contest Spectacular in history, and we would kindly ask You, Miss Althea, to be our hostess for the contest. Your reputation as a contestant is well known and has already become legend. As you hold the record of most contest wins in history, as well as for most coordinators mentored, we cannot think of anyone more qualified for the task at hand._

 _Your presence and cooperation would honor us greatly. The Contest Spectacular starts on 7th May and lasts three weeks. We would kindly ask you and your co-host Mr. Wallace to meet us organizers in Lilycove City a month before the contest starts, and hope that the request is manageable._

 _Please reply to us soon._

 _Respectfully  
the Contest Spectacular Board_

The letter was signed by all the members of the Contest Spectacular Board. Althea read through the letter again, thoughts rushing through her head. It was certainly tempting. She hadn't attended a single Contest since the last coordinator she mentored won the Contest Spectacular for the first time.

Althea had always loved contests, as she had never grown tired of watching the beautiful appeals the Pokémon and their trainers put together to get an unforgettable experience. This letter in her hands could just be the key to discover that world all over again, as it would fascinating to see what the past years had done to the Contest Spectacular first-hand. Granted, she had watched several on TV, but being backstage and involved was something completely different.

She looked at the letter again, and a slight smirk crept to her lips. Wallace. Her long-time rival, friend and crush. She hadn't seen him in years and they hadn't really upheld contact that much, even though she didn't live that far from Sootopolis. He was busy at the gym, and she was busy on her island. Seeing and working with him again could actually be quite a thrill.

Seeking advice, Althea looked at Rosemary, who was still standing beside her.

"Should we head to Lilycove, Rose?"

"Roserade!" was the answer, accompanied by a positive, dramatic gesture. Rosemary loved contests and was a graceful competitor herself. It was due to her that Althea had become so famous in the first place, she thought, since the Pokémon was the highlight of the contests and Rosemary had shone like a star. So, naturally, asking her would be a definite "yes!"

"Lilycove City it is then." Althea stated, standing up and putting the letter back into the pink envelope. "And the 7th of May… luckily I'm heading for Evergrande today; I can send a snail-mail reply from there… That's what they want anyway."

Rosemary followed her trainer inside to the study, where Althea proceeded to write a reply for the Contest Spectacular Board. When she was finished, she put it in her bag, ready to leave for Evergrande City.

Althea sighed and leaned back in her chair. She would need to leave in six months, and she would be gone for about two. The Roselias would make it without her that long, they were able to stand their ground if needed, and they would naturally take care of the rose-garden as well. Still, she hadn't been visible in the world of contests for years, and returning was both exciting and a little bit anxious. It would have changed, it always did. Would she still fit in? Would she be able to adapt to the contemporary norms and styles? Seeing it on TV was one thing, actually doing it was another.

Rosemary, sensing her owner's insecurity, nudged her arm gently with her left rose. She tilted her head to the side, as if asking what was wrong. Althea smiled at the Rosemary, petting her.

"This is going to be exciting to say the least, Rose, exciting indeed… and we need to take up regular practice again, starting this afternoon."

"Roserade!" the Pokémon stated confidently and Althea let out a slight chuckle. This lady didn't lack confidence.


	2. Chapter 2 - The Sootopolitan

Chapter 2 – The Sootopolitan

"Graceful, Milotic! Now, break through using Aqua Pulse."

The breathtakingly beautiful Pokémon shattered the misty, frost-shimmering Aqua Rings around it, creating a glittering rain of water and ice around it. Having spiraled upwards for the finale, it now gracefully flew down back to the water's surface in the middle of the star-like rain.

Wallace smiled at his beloved Pokémon. About a month ago, he had agreed to host the 50th annual Contest Spectacular in Lilycove City, and had been training with Milotic daily not to lose touch. He couldn't very well host a Contest Spectacular without Milotic and him being in spectacularly good shape, he thought. He waved for Milotic to come to the shore and walked towards it, taking out a bag of PokéPuffs.

"You were fantastic, darling. Considering we're leaving for Lilycove in a few weeks, I'd say we're on the edge of perfection, don't you think?"

Milotic gave up a soft cry in response, thanking its trainer for the encouragement while having some PokéPuffs. Wallace gently stroked her neck while she ate. Milotic had been with him since the very beginning, his first Pokémon, and had remained his most faithful companion throughout the years.

"I think that's enough for today." He stated, and Milotic let out a soft, content cry in response. "Come; let's head back to the gym. Who knows, we might even have challengers today."

Floating in the air beside its trainer, Milotic and Wallace headed for the Pokémon Gym. Entering through the double doors, they gazed upon the magnificence of the water gym. The waterfalls, the floors of ice, and on the top of giant tree the whole structure was built on, the Gym Leader's battlefield in front of the grand waterfall. Wallace had loved the gym from the moment he saw it, but had added his own personal touch to it. For instance, he had had the ice platforms lightened to ease the weight on the tree.

Wallace was about to head over to the Gym Leader's quarters when he was stopped by the Gym Guide, Wayne, who came up to him carrying a shimmering pink envelope.

"Mr. Wallace, this arrived only moments ago for you. Contest Spectacular business, I assume." He said, handing the letter to Wallace.

"Thank you, Wayne, I shall read it immediately. Have some lunch, it's near midday."

"Oh, I'll go home for lunch today, my wife is cooking. If a challenger drops by while I'm gone, I'm sure one of the trainers can handle it."

"Of course, that's no problem. Enjoy your meal." Wallace flashed him a smile before heading for the Gym Leader's quarters for some lunch himself. While walking, he opened the letter and read it.

 _Dear Mr. Wallace,_

 _The 50th annual Contest Spectacular is just beyond the door, and we are honored that you have agreed to host the event. We send this letter to inform you that you will host the Contest together with Miss Althea, who has agreed to once again join us to help and create the grandest contest in history._

 _Miss Althea will join us in a month, just like you, and the organizers got the idea that it would be absolutely brilliant if the two of you could start both the whole Contest Spectacular and the finale with co-numbers. Of course, you will have very limited time to practice together, so we understand if this is too much to ask. Miss Althea has already responded that she believes it possible, so it is now up to You, Mr. Wallace._

 _As said, it would be a great honor and a most spectacular way to open the Contest and the Finale with. We await your reply._

 _Respectfully  
the Contest Spectacular Board_

"Well, well, well…" Wallace murmured to himself, a smirk playing on his lips. "The rosebud is going to blossom again, it seems."

His feet had by now taken him to the Gym Leader's quarters by themselves. Instead of having lunch immediately he went over to a bookshelf and started scanning through it, looking for a very specific… There! He picked a book out of the shelf and scanned through the pages until he found what he was looking for. The page greeted him with a photo of a green-haired woman with sparkling green eyes, and beside her a radiant Roserade, elegantly holding its cape.

The smirk found its way back to Wallace's lips as he looked at the picture. He imagined she was still as stunning as ever. They hadn't seen each other in years, but she had been on his mind… quite a lot, actually. It was no secret they had been wrapped around each other's' fingers for years, yet they had never been a couple, which the surrounding world found very strange. Looking back, Wallace himself thought it a bit strange, but they had never gotten it on. Years and years they spent in rivalry, friendship and open flirting, but no relationship…

Leaving the book open on the table, Wallace finally proceeded to make some lunch, thinking about the task at hand. Of course, he would respond that a couple of co-numbers was possible, as he would gladly spend time with his rosebud some more. It would be foolish of him to say no. After lunch, he would write his response to the Contest Spectacular Board.

These events had just turned a whole lot more interesting… and exciting.


	3. Chapter 3 - The Arrival

Chapter 3 – The Arrival

Wallace had barely set his foot on dry land in Lilycove City before a huge crowd surrounded him, cheering. He put on his trademark smile and dealt with the situation professionally. The huge Contest Hall could be seen from here and even though he wasn't far away from it, it was completely impossible to get there through the excited crowd. He therefore greeted them, signing autographs in every direction.

The constant "Wallace! Wallace!" from the crowd finally caught the attention of a young man, who came running towards it, desperately trying to get through it to Wallace. As the Gym Leader noticed this, he managed to hush the crowd enough to speak up.

"Ladies, gentlemen, please let the gentleman in a fabulous blue suit through, I believe he's my assistant." He kindly told the crowd, which separated just enough to let the man through.

"That is correct, Mr. Wallace." He said, extending a hand for Wallace to shake. "The name's Thomas."

"Pleased to meet you Thomas. Are you perhaps here to escort me to the Contest Hall?"

"I am indeed, if that's… possible?" He looked at the crowd a bit hesitantly, as if he was afraid being ripped to pieces for taking Wallace from them.

"Of course it's possible!" Wallace smiled. "Come, Milotic, we should get some rest after our long trip from Sootopolis, I'm starving. I'll see you later, folks." He waved to the crowd as he let Thomas lead him through it, followed by Milotic, floating through the air as usual when on land. The crowd, even though disappointed that their idol had walked away soon after arriving, looked after them, still cheering.

"Phew, what a welcome!" Wallace exclaimed as they entered the Contest Hall through the staff entrance. "And I'm actually starving, there wouldn't happen to be any good lunch places nearby?"

"There's a staff restaurant with excellent food on the third floor." Thomas informed him, while leading the way to the host quarters. "And later tonight, at seven, all the organizers will have dinner together to welcome the arrival of the hosts and the judges."

"My niece wouldn't happen to be among the judges? I haven't seen her in ages." Wallace asked, referring to Lisia, the daughter of his older sister.

"Oh, Lisia? Yes, she's one of the judges, and from what I know, she was thrilled to hear that you're hosting the contest. It also seems that she's a major fan of Miss Althea."

"Believe me; Althea has no bigger fan than my niece. Has my co-hostess arrived yet, by the way?"

"Not yet, she estimated her arrival time later in the afternoon. Hopefully we can break her free from the crowd just as smoothly as you did out there. Ah, here we are!"

Thomas took out a key and opened the door to Wallace's quarters. They went inside and Wallace couldn't help but be impressed. It was like a penthouse apartment, complete with a living room, a bedroom, a kitchen, a bathroom and a pool for Milotic… which the Pokémon discovered immediately, letting out a happy cry and diving down into it. She came back up to the surface and rested her head on the edge, content.

"This is excellent, thank you. I daresay I'm impressed." Wallace told Thomas, who was still holding his bag, which Wallace had almost forgotten behind due to the crowd. "Oh, put the bag on the floor, I'll unpack after I've gotten myself and Milotic something to eat."

"Glad you like it." Thomas responded, putting the bag on the floor as instructed. "We thought we'd give you and Miss Althea a tour later when she arrives, if that's okay?"

"Of course. Where is she staying?"

"Right across the hall." Thomas said, pointing through the open doorway on the door on the other side of the round hall. "She has similar quarters, with the exception of the pool. She requested a patch of grass and roses instead."

"Of course she did."

"Is there anything else you need, Mr. Wallace? If you do, just call me on the intern phone. Here." Thomas handed him an intern phone, which Wallace put in his pocket. "Using this, you can get in touch with any staff member anytime you need."

"Thank you. I'd like to be notified of Altheas arrival, we haven't seen each other in ages and I'd like to be there to meet and greet her… properly."

"I'll keep you updated on the matter. Her assistant, Betty, is staying in the room beside mine, so it shouldn't be a problem."

"Perfect. I'll have lunch and a short rest for now, the restaurant was on the third floor?"

"Yes. I can escort you there if you wish to leave immediately."

"Thank you, much appreciated." Wallace smiled, fastening his cape properly. "Let's go."

~Althea arrives~

Whatever she had expected when her feet touched the ground in Lilycove City as she and Rosemary arrived at the docks, it certainly wasn't a massive, cheering crowd that quickly surrounded her. Even though she hadn't really been in contact with the world of contests for a long time, she still had the spirit of a performer. She smiled and waved at the crowd, both she and Rosemary curtseying gracefully. While writing one autograph after the other, she tried moving through the crowd towards the Contest Hall, but that mission failed miserably. It was downright impossible to escape it, unless she decided to have Rosemary use Sleep Powder so they could make their escape. It was tempting, but she didn't want to make a scene.

"Miss Althea, welcome to Lilycove City! I'd like to get you away from this crowd, but they have apparently gone completely insane." Althea looked down and found a young woman by her side, looking up at her through a pair of blue glasses. "I'm Betty, and I have the honor of being your assistant. I'm sorry about this…" she said, referring to the crowd.

"Pleased to meet you, Betty, and you don't have to be sorry about anything. We just need to figure out a way to get away from…"

"Folks, folks, where are your manners? Miss Althea must be exhausted after the trip, let her through." A kind but firm voice said from somewhere behind the crowd, a voice Althea knew all too well. As if the people around her suddenly had woken up from some kind of trance, they separated to let her and Betty pass.

At the other end, they were greeted by a flustered assistant, whom she later learned was named Thomas, as well as her savior… who greeted her with a trademark smirk and received one back.

"I suppose I owe my sincerest thanks to you, my knight in a shining armor." Althea said, curtseying elegantly, mockingly.

"A damsel in distress is more than worthy of my precious time." Wallace retorted, bowing like a perfect gentleman.

Althea let out a chuckle, but had to hide her real feelings that were rapidly bubbling up inside her. At the moment she had seen him, her heart stopped. Her cheeks must have turned the brightest shade of red as she felt a wave of sleeping memories rise to the surface. Wallace was as handsome as ever, and he treated her like they had seen each other yesterday. Years of being apart were washed away in a heartbeat.

Althea dramatically extended her hand, which Wallace immediately took in his.

"Well, dewdrop, I'm very much looking forward working with you once again."

"Long time, no see, rosebud, and the pleasure is all mine." He responded, gently kissing her hand, which sent a tingling, electric shock from her hand all the way down her spine. He offered her his arm. "Let me escort you to your quarters, you must be exhausted."

"You haven't changed a bit, have you? And yes, I'm exhausted." She responded, having now gained most of her composure. She took his arm and let him lead her inside the Contest Hall, closely followed by their assistants.

"I'm so sorry about that, Miss Althea, we had no idea the situation would be that bad." Betty apologized again, still a bit worked up by the incident with the crowd. "We knew we should expect a crowd, but not that massive. We weren't properly prepared."

"As said, there's no need to apologies." Althea reassured her. "Having not really been in this world of contests for some time had me unprepared as well."

"Here we are." Wallace announced, entering the circular hall with only two doors. "Over there are your quarters, rosebud, and I'm right across the hall."

"Here…" Betty said unlocking the door to Althea's quarters and taking her bag inside.

"Thank you, Betty; and thank you, my brave knight, for escorting me here and saving me from the crowd earlier." She said, letting go off his arm with a nod of thanks.

"That's the least I could do, my lady." Wallace said with a bow.

"Umm… Miss Althea, Mr. Wallace…" Thomas said hesitantly, coming up to them. "Betty, the schedules?"

"Yes!" Betty exclaimed, coming over to them, taking out a paper from her bag, while Thomas did the same. "Here, Miss Althea, is your schedule for the upcoming month, and an overall schedule for what will be happening when. Here are the keys to your quarters and to all other necessary areas, and this is the intern phone with which you can get in touch with any staff member at any time, including me."

Althea accepted all of which she was offered and thanked Betty for the information. Wallace accepted a similar schedule and scanned through it.

"There's no mention of when we should practice together." He said out loud, while reading the details. "I suppose we ought to schedule that separately?"

"Yes, we thought it best. You will have time during the four upcoming weeks, and you will have time to practice for the finale during the contest as well." Thomas said. "We thought of it, but decided it should be up to you."

"Then we should probably do that at some point, but for now, I'd like to rest before dinner." Althea said, folding the papers.

"Of course, there's no rush." Wallace said, bowing, the smirk returning once again. "I intend on escorting you to dinner later, rosebud."

"Thank you for asking." Althea said, mockingly, but smirked back. "Knock on my door when you're ready to leave." She turned to Betty and Thomas. "I know it says on the schedule we ought to have a tour now, but can that wait till tomorrow? I won't remember a thing if we do it now, I'm sorry."

"That works well, Miss, we can do it tomorrow at three instead." Betty assured her. "For example." She added, her cheeks turning red.

"Perfect." Althea smiled. "I will see you at dinner then."

"If there's anything you need, Miss, just call me." Betty smiled back, now a bit more confident.

"Thank you, I'll do so. Till later. Come now, Rose." With Rosemary in tow, Althea entered her quarters and took in her surroundings. The rose Pokémon happily exclaimed "Roseraaade!" and headed straight to the miniature rose garden, complete with a soft patch of grass. Althea giggled a little, and then sighed heavily, closing her eyes. She would really need a rest to clear her head. Whatever she had expected, it wasn't to trip and fall head over heels for a man she had been very much in love with for years the exact moment she saw him. She thought she was over him. Apparently that wasn't the case at all...


	4. Chapter 4 - The Dinner

Chapter 4 – The Dinner

*Knock, knock!*

Two knocks were heard from Althea's door. She took one last look in the mirror, decided light blue evening gown was good enough for a more formal dinner, and went over to Rosemary to check that she was all right being left alone on her patch of grass, which has a small fountain so the water would stay fresh.

"You okay Rose? I won't be gone for long."

"Rose, Roserade!" Rosemary didn't seem too happy, but at the same time was fine with taking care of herself for a few hours. Althea gave her a hug, and took the scent of her beloved Pokémon. The scent of roses was intoxicating.

*Knock, knock!"

Yes, the door, it was.

Althea gave Rosemary one last reassuring squeeze before letting go and finally headed over to open the door. She was greeted by Wallace, draped in a turquoise cape this time. He smirked at her and bowed gracefully.

"Rosebud, stories of your beauty are well known, but they do not make you justice. May I say you look astonishing tonight?" Althea felt her cheeks turn pink. Stop it!

"Why thank you, dewdrop, you do look quite handsome yourself." She responded with a smirk of her own.

"I'll take that compliment to my heart." He said, winking at her. He offered his arm and looked into her eyes, a smug smile playing on his lips when he asked: "Shall we?"

Althea felt a bit dizzy, but managed to stay focused and composed. Get a grip! She took his arm and sent him a smile just as smug back when she replied: "Yes, we shall."

Wallace felt warmth spread through him, somehow originating from the arm Althea had taken hold of. He had had the same sensation earlier that day when they had come in physical contact with each other. He upheld his self-esteemed facade and charm, but on the inside, he was weak in the knees. The old flame was still there, burning inside him, and it seemed to be stronger than ever.

"So, handsome..." Althea spoke up, returning Wallace to his surroundings. "...I haven't been in this business for a few years now, and neither have you, really. I'm curious as to why you decided to join; pray tell."

"I will, if you promise to return the favor."

"Sure."

"Well then. Partially, I said yes because I haven't been active in contests for a while, focusing on Sootopolis Gym instead. I also said yes because it all sounded exciting, it's the 50th anniversary and all, and I'd never say no to sit in the front row when spectacularly beautiful choreographies are shown. I'll also quite straightforwardly admit I really wanted to work with you again."

"Then I have nothing new to tell, really." Althea said, hiding her red-hot cheeks. "That's that for me too."

"Oh, rosebud, how you make me feel special." Wallace smiled smugly at her.

"Don't get cocky, dewdrop."

Wallace stopped walking, turning towards her fully and met her gaze with his mesmerizing, turquoise gems.

"Oh, I would never, darling." He said, half mockingly, half seriously. They stared at each other for a moment longer, none of them braking eye-contact.

"I'm starving." Althea said finally. Wallace smirk grew a bit wider.

"Oh no, we can't have a damsel in distress starving, that would be highly inappropriate. I shall take my lady there immediately."

"Oh, my handsome prince has once again arrived on his white stallion to save me." Althea played along. "Please take me with you to your castle." Wallace chuckled slightly.

"With pleasure, flower, with pleasure."

They arrived shortly after at the staff restaurant, which had been fancily catered for the evening in red, gold and white.

"Now, where are we supposed to sit...?" Wallace murmured, scanning the area. The answer came seconds afterwards.

"There you are Miss Althea, Mr. Wallace!" Thomas and Betty had appeared seemingly out of nowhere to greet them.

"You are to sit at the table of honor together with the judges and the Contest Spectacular Board." Betty said, pointing to a table slightly bigger than the rest, with all chairs facing in one direction for a good view over the dining hall. "There are nameplates, you will sit beside each other, I believe."

"Excellent, thank you both." Wallace said and Althea thanked them as well. "Ah, there we have my niece already; she will be sitting with us too."

"Oh, I haven't seen Lisia in years. Let's go."

"Your wish is my command, rosebud."

Wallace led her over to the table of honor, where the people already present suddenly all stood up. Althea was not used to this new kind of attention, but she knew her manners and gracefully accepted the situation as it came. An elderly man with an impressive white moustache came up to them immediately and bowed deeply, taking off his top hat.

"Miss Althea, Mr. Wallace, it is a true honor and joy for us all to have you here with us. I'm Rufus Rouge, Chairman for the Contest Spectacular Board. I trust you have been well taken care of, missus, sir?"

"Pleased to meet you, Mr. Rouge, and yes, our assistants are most helpful and competent." Althea smiled. "Wouldn't you say so, Wallace?"

"I do agree with you, Althea, they are most considerate." Wallace flashed a smile at the Chairman.

"Please, have a seat, we hope you will be pleased with the seating, otherwise it is possible to rearrange of course..." The flustered Chairman rabbled on.

"I'm sure it is to our satisfaction, Mr. Rouge." Althea said as Wallace led her around the table. They stopped by a young woman, with hair blue as the deep ocean. She was blushing furiously.

"Good to see you, Lisia." Wallace said, smiling at his niece.

"Pleased to see you Lisia, it has been a while." Althea smiled. Lisia looked up at her, seemingly nervous, her cheeks a deeper shade of pink.

"It's a great honor to finally meet you formally, Miss Althea." She said, breathless. "I... I'm a huge fan of yours..." she trailed off, blushing furiously again.

"And it seems I get to share this dinner with you, as my nameplate appears to be right here." Althea smiled, glancing down at the table.

"And mine here." Wallace said, having noticed his own nameplate beside hers. He pulled out her chair and bowed slightly. "My lady."

"Such a gentleman through and through as always. Thank you, kind sir." Althea smiled, taking her seat between Wallace and Lisia.

"Well, as you well know, in a battle I'm not."

"Oh yes, you are, at least you were the last time I saw you battle."

"Well, alright, it depends, but my strategies are indeed built on respect... and beauty."

"Sounds like a gentleman strategy to me."

"Fair enough, rosebud."

The Chairman, Mr. Rouge, tapped lightly on the side of his glass to gain everyone's attention. The tables were now filled with people, and the few still standing proceeded to sit down. When everyone had been seated, the Chairman spoke up.

"Good evening, everyone, I'm glad to see all of you here joined together this evening to enjoy the food and each other's company. We are of course here tonight to welcome our guests of honor: the judges and the hosts of the 50th annual Contest Spectacular. We have the judges Miss Lisia…" Lisia stood up from her chair, curtseying. "…Mr. Chaz…" the blonde young man to the left of Lisia rose and bowed slightly. "…and all the way from Hearthome City in Sinnoh, Miss Casey." The pink-haired nurse to the left of Chaz stood in her turn, curtseying. The staff applauded all the judges, who sat down again. "And of course, our most honorable guests tonight; our hosts: Miss Althea and Mr. Wallace."

They both stood up, Althea curtseying gracefully and Wallace taking his beret off in an elegant bow. This time, the staff was standing up, applauding them, as was everyone at the table of honor. They sat down again, and when the applauding had finally ceased, the Chairman spoke once more.

"I hope all of you will feel welcome here and that you will be comfortable working together with all of us. We are all here for the same purpose: to create a fabulous 50th anniversary Contest Spectacular. With that, I welcome you all and wish you a pleasant evening." He lifted his glass of champagne from the table. "I propose a toast to the Contest Spectacular and our honorable guests!"

Everyone else lifted their glasses as well and toasted with him. After that, he sat down again and the chatter commenced. The primary course, mushroom soup and bread, was brought in immediately which made Althea very happy, since she hadn't really eaten anything since breakfast.

"So, Lisia…" Althea said, having taken a spoon of the delicious soup. "…to be a judge is quite a prestigious post for a woman as young as you. I haven't seen you in person in years, but of course I've been following contests on TV. Pray tell a little about how you're doing." She requested, smiling at the blue-haired woman beside her. Lisia blushed several shades of pink when spoken to and desperately tried to regain some kind of composure before turning to answer her.

"Well I… I've lived here in Lilycove for seven years now, since I started doing contests. Wallace was a great mentor, and I still consider him my mentor to this day." She smiled over to her uncle, who chuckled heartily.

"You're doing just fine by yourself as well, but you're welcome." He smiled back. "This soup is delicious…"

"Anyway, um… well, when I won Master Rank, I decided to start mentoring myself. I have scouted a hundred coordinators by now, and several of them are now taking part in this Contest Spectacular as well, including my latest find, Hoenn League Champion May Maple… well, I did scout her before she became champion, but it's a joy knowing she will be participating as well."

"And we will be here to see to it you're not favoring any one of them." The blonde young man, Chaz, flicked in, though smiling.

"Of course, that wouldn't be fair of me, now would it?" Lisia told him. "Well… that's… that's it really…" She blushed again, her lovely cheeks turning pink.

"A hundred coordinators is an extraordinary achievement!" Althea said, quite astonished. "That isn't anything everyone can say about themselves. Impressive, I have to say."

"Th-, thank you, Miss." Lisia breathed, a bit shaky about the fact that the woman who had inspired her so much had complimented her. Althea held the record for most coordinators scouted and mentored of all contest profiles ever.

"And your companion through all of this has been your stunning Altaria, correct?" Althea continued questioning the young coordinator.

"Oh, yes, Ali." Lisia said, her heart warm by the thought of her Pokémon. "He has been with me since he was a Swablu." She paused. "Miss Althea, may I ask, your Roserade is of course with you here?" At the mention of the Pokémon that held the record of most contests won in history, neither Chaz nor the nurse Casey could hide their interest anymore and turned their heads to listen to the conversation.

"Of course, Rosemary is resting in our quarters." Althea smiled, finishing her bowl of soup.

"I… honestly can't wait to see you perform, Miss." Lisia said, blushing again. "I mean, I've seen it before, but it's a long while ago, and I remember them as… breathtakingly amazing."

"I told you, rosebud, your skill and beauty precedes your reputation." Wallace said, joining the discussion. "And Lisia, Rosemary is absolutely radiant, and I can't wait to see what you have in store for us."

"No pressure at all, I see." Althea said, letting out a tingling laugh. "We haven't taken part in any contest-related event for years, but I can't say we have lost touch. We did practice every single day for the past six months for this occasion."

The evening continued with friendly chitchat and Althea finally felt a little more comfortable around the other people. She got to know those sitting closest to her, and every single one of them opened up more and more as she showed her interest in them. Granted, she got quite a few questions back, but that was okay, she had been expecting that since her arrival had shown her she wasn't quite forgotten. Had Lisia mentored a hundred trainers, Althea had mentored many times more during her career.

When they had finished their desserts, a delicious lime cheesecake, it was time to end the dinner. The staff had arranged some kind of party for those who didn't feel like the evening was over yet, but Althea was exhausted, and Wallace seemed to be too. He looked over at her, as if trying to read her thoughts. Failing, he decided to ask instead:

"Penny for your thoughts, rosebud?"

"As much as I'd like to get to know the staff a bit better as well, I'm exhausted, dewdrop. I did also promise Rosemary to return as soon as possible, and I wouldn't like to keep her waiting any longer. I'd like to retire to my quarters now."

"As would I, in fact." Wallace said, standing up and taking hold of the back of her chair. "I'd be honored to escort you back."

"That would be very kind of you, much appreciated." Althea said, letting him help her up. She took his arm that he once again offered and turned to the judges, smiling. "Thank you all, I've had a most pleasant evening in lovely company. I trust we will see each other often these upcoming weeks, and I'm already looking forward to it. For now, I bid you good night."

"Good night." Wallace also thanked them.

"The pleasure was all ours." Lisia beamed, now more comfortable with the thought that her idol was also a human being. "Good night, Miss Althea." The other two judges followed suit.

Wallace and Althea exited the dining area and set course for their quarters.

"That went well, I think." Althea spoke up. "I haven't attended a formal dinner for a while, and I've always had trouble sitting still for long periods of time. The company certainly helped out."

"Lisia was awestruck." Wallace said with a hearty chuckle. "And I agree, it was a pleasant evening. I usually find such dinners boring, but I daresay your presence made all the difference." Althea felt a slight blush on her cheeks.

"That's very forward of you."

"I hope I haven't offended you."

"You haven't." She smiled at him reassuringly.

They had reached the circular hall with their respective quarters. Wallace led Althea to her door and turned to look at her, still arm in arm.

"I guess this is where I bid you good night, rosebud." Wallace said.

"And I guess this is where I do so as well to you, dewdrop." Althea replied. "Tomorrow, it would probably be wise for us to schedule common training sessions for our performances, as well as practice our co-operative hosting – we have a bit of text to edit, I believe."

"Yes, that would probably be for the best." Wallace said, nodding. "We have our fair share of work to do, just like everyone else here."

"Indeed." Althea agreed. "Well then, good night, Wallace."

"Good night, Althea, I will see you tomorrow." Wallace bowed gracefully and then turned around to head over to his door. He stopped dead in his tracks with his hand already on the handle when he heard that soft voice from across the hall:

"Remember the beautiful seaside meadow beyond the woods on Route 212, particularly breathtaking at dawn? Have a good night's sleep." Before he had the chance to react in any way, Wallace heard the door close behind him. He turned around to look at it for a moment before slowly opening his door and heading inside his chambers.

Althea closed the door behind her, leaning against it and slowly breathing out, a smile playing on her lips. Her heart was racing, and it made her feel alive. He made her feel alive.

Unbeknownst to her, Wallace sank down on the sofa closest to the door, doing the exact same thing: exhaling slowly, a smug smile playing on his lips. His heart was racing as well and he felt weak in the knees. There was no denying it – he was still madly in love with Althea, and the feeling seemed to be stronger than it ever was before. He had fallen, and fallen hard. Fallen for her… again. He knew exactly what she had meant by those last words, and he wasn't going to disappoint her.

"I hope you're ready, Milotic." he said, looking over to the pool, Milotic meeting his gaze, her head tilted questioningly to the left. "Tomorrow, it's show time."


	5. Chapter 5 - Training at the Break of Day

Chapter 5 – Training at the Break of Day

Althea rose just before dawn the next morning, got dressed and exited her room with an energetic Rosemary beside her. She went over to Wallace's door and looked at the grass-type Pokémon.

"He has left already, hasn't he?" she asked, a smug smile playing on her lips. Roserade let out a confirming cry, sniffing the air to reassure they were correct. "I thought I heard him leave a while ago, just as I suspected he would. Let's not keep him waiting, shall we?"

She turned her heel and headed outside. The air was fresh and a bit chilly, morning dew glistening in the grass. Rosemary let out a content sigh ("Rooose...") inhaling and exhaling deeply, her roses blooming brightly. Althea smiled, inhaling the freshness of dawn herself. Everything was so peaceful at this time of day. She met and saw no one on her way to Route 212, there was no wind and the sea appeared to be a mirror, quiet, reflecting the sky above, which was colored in the most beautiful shades of blue, bronze and gold.

Althea and Rosemary soon reached their destination: the seaside meadow at Route 212. At the edge of the forest, they stopped, a small smile finding its way to Altheas lips. There he was, standing by the sea, watching Milotic swim. She was an exceptionally beautiful Pokémon, and Althea couldn't recall seeing a being of such beauty in quite a while.

They were obviously practicing, as Milotic got spirals of water rising up above her and her with them, emanating a light mist that made the circles of water glisten of frost crystals. The show ended with the crystallized rings of water shattering in a million pieces, falling down in a rain of diamond dust and Milotic gracefully landing in the water again, in the spotlight of it all. A stunning performance, to say the least.

"Impressive."

Wallace tensed and turned around in a swift movement at the voice. Althea was standing a few steps behind him, Rosemary by her side. Her hair was lush and green as the healthiest grass, her eyes sparkling as she smiled. She was dressed in simple, light yellow kimono with flower-patterns in light pink and white. Wallace found himself lost for words for a moment at the sight of her. He was certain he never, ever in his life had met a woman so breathtakingly beautiful. As if he suddenly remembered she had spoken up, he landed back in reality. Smiling smugly, he bowed elegantly and finally responded to the compliment.

"Good morning, rosebud, and thank you."

"I appreciate you didn't want to keep me waiting." she said, walking up to him, her smile showing the faintest trace of smugness. "As a result, I got a show for free." Wallace wasn't as good as her to hide the smugness from his smile, not that he really tried.

"Well, it would have been rude of me to keep a lady waiting, now wouldn't it? And I'm delighted to hear you enjoyed the show." He turned his gaze to Rosemary, who had found her way to her old friend Milotic. The two had obviously had their own conversation over their trainers. "Care to return the favor, roses?" Wallace continued, raising an eyebrow.

"Of course." Althea smiled, looking at Rosemary, who was now focused on her trainer. "Shall we, darling?"

"Rose-raaade!" Rosemary exclaimed dramatically and excited, proceeding to look for a suitable spot in the middle of the meadow to use as a starting point. Wallace followed Althea a little closer, until she gave him a sign to stop. Milotic landed softly beside him, curious of what was about to happen.

Althea walked up to Rosemary, who had curled up into a ball and draped her cape around her, only her beautiful white rosebud visible in the grass. Althea stopped a few steps from her, head down, eyes closed in concentration. Then, she raised her head, took a few, graceful steps towards Rosemary, bent down and put a hand on her back, a light, loving, gentle touch. The white rose sprang into bloom on the Pokémon's head, catching the morning rays of the sun, making it look like golden dust was flying around it.

Walking backwards, away from her Pokémon, Althea positioned herself at a proper coordinator distance from Rosemary. From where she now was standing, she would be able to uphold contact with the Roserade, and still let it have the spotlight it was supposed to.

The slight golden shine around Rosemary grew stronger, expanded, and then the light from the white imploded into the flower. A spiraling pillar of golden dust made its way skyward, making the Roserade glow. Slowly, she rose from her curled up position, her roses starting to bloom even more.

Suddenly, all three roses burst into a full blossom, sending flower petals spiraling upwards with the golden dust. Rosemary now opened her eyes, completely revealing herself from inside the cape, letting out a soft cry of gratitude. The spiraling petals and golden dust followed in her path as she ran around in a finely coordinated pattern, making the grass underneath flourish with roses. Rosemary ran to the middle of the pattern of petals and golden dust she had created, which was now building a stairway-like path spiraling upwards. To Wallace's amazement, Rosemary jumped and began climbing, running up the "steps". She reached the end, jumped as high as she could muster. The "staircase" flattened itself in mid-air, creating the pattern of a huge, golden, and red and white rose… from which Rosemary now emerged, her cape flowing in the wind.

Wallace could only watch in awe and astonishment as the grass-type created one of the most wondrous and magical performances he had ever seen. With the help of rose petals, some golden dust from the sun's rays, grass and leaves it weaved together something absolutely amazing. The whole show ended with Rosemary once again emerging from inside an enormous red rose.

When finished, Rosemary was glowing with pride and joy, elegantly curtseying and bowing to her audience that was Wallace and Milotic. She went over to her coordinator, who gave her a hug.

"That was a joy to watch, darling, and a proper warm up." Althea murmured to her Pokémon, handing her a handful of PokéPuffs, which she quickly gulped down, grateful. Wallace approached them, applauding.

"You certainly haven't lost touch, roses. On the contrary, your choreographies seem to be even more extraordinary than before. A truly wondrous performance, rosebud. Without exaggerating, I will say I'm awestruck." Milotic let out a cry of agreement, hovering in the air beside its trainer.

"Oh, we're only getting started." Althea said, petting a now pumped up Rosemary. "This was a standard warm up routine where Rosemary's creative side really shines through and we get most of our ideas for actual, coordinated performances."

"This was improvised?" Wallace asked, baffled. It had looked like a winning performance to him.

"Rooose-rade!" Rosemary answered for her trainer, whom she then nudged with her nose. "Rose, rose, roserade!"

"Rosemary thinks it's time to go to the drawing board." Althea explained to her co-host and his Pokémon. "Having seen your performance, I have a few ideas, and I suppose you do as well."

"I do, rosebud." Wallace said, having regained most of his composure. "Should we let Rosemary and Milotic catch up while we schedule our practices and perhaps try a few ideas out before breakfast?"

"Breakfast?" Althea said, putting Rosemary down. "I'd say we work now and go for brunch a little later, alright?"

"Excellent idea." Wallace said with a genuine smile.

"Go on then, Rosemary, say hello to Milotic. You two will be working together quite a bit during the upcoming weeks, so you might as well get the chit-chat done." Althea said, nudging her companion. Rosemary, excited seeing her old friend, ran up to Milotic, who lowered its head down to get down to eye level with the grass type.

Seeing that their Pokémon were getting along just fine like in the old days, Althea tilted her head and smiled smugly at her co-host.

"Shall we get to work?" she asked. Wallace returned the smirk.

"We shall."

~Several hours, ideas and autographs later~

"That is what I call time well spent." Wallace stated, as he escorted Althea arm in arm along the seaside, headed for a café by the ocean they both remembered served exquisite tea.

"Agreed, we used it well." Althea nodded.

They had scheduled both practices for their co-performances and for the writing and practicing for the actual hosting, and on top of that, they had already made progress concerning the former. Milotic and Rosemary were working well together, just like before, both giving the other time in the spotlight, as well as shining to the fullest when in it. They had tried out a few choreographic patterns and decided to work further with it after brunch. They were scheduled to have a meeting with the judges, the Contest Spectacular Board, the director and the producers at three o'clock, so they would have some time to spare before that.

"Ah, here we are!" Wallace said. They had reached Lily of the Cove, a quite fancy tea house by the seashore. They were almost immediately met by a waiter, who came rushing over to the entrance as soon as he saw them.

"Good day, sir, ma'am…" He suddenly blinked, as if he wasn't quite sure his eyes showed him what he thought he was looking at. He corrected himself, having recognized the Timeless. "Forgive me, Miss Althea, Mr. Wallace, it's been so long since your last visit. It's a pleasure seeing you back here in Lilycove in good health." The waiter said, bowing.

"Good day to you, too, mister." Wallace said, nodding. "We would like a table with a view of the sea, as I believe our Pokémon would very much like to spend their time outside by the water. We came to have brunch."

"Of course, we've got the perfect place for you. This way, please." The waiter showed them to a smaller porch by the sea, with a yard for Pokémon to play on while their owners ate. He showed them to the only table on the porch and then turned towards them.

"I hope this will be to your satisfaction. Most of our guests like to come here to eat undisturbed, as I guess you hope to do, sir, ma'am."

"Is this to your satisfaction, rosebud?" Wallace asked, looking over at Althea with a small smug smile playing on his lips.

"This is perfect, thank you." Althea said, smiling at the waiter and rolling her eyes at Wallace.

"Excellent." He said, ignoring her eye-roll and holding out a chair for her. Althea sat down, and noticed Rosemary and Milotic had already found their way over to the shore. As long as they were happy, she was.

"Here we have the menu, sir, ma'am." The waiter said with a smile, handing them a couple of said items. "I will be back in a moment with a can of lemonade and some appetizers, ready to take your orders." He bowed respectfully before leaving.

"Lovely, thank you." Althea said, leaning back in her chair and opening the menu. Wallace did the same, flipping through the pages.

"Oh good, they still have a separate menu for the Pokémon." Althea said, scanning the contents. "This shouldn't be too hard, it seems."

"May I guess: Dragon Well Tea and a salad?" Wallace asked, somewhat amused.

"You know me all too well. A pot of Dragon Well Tea and a salad with cashews, avocado and red onions for me and a sweet berry salad with freshly baked PokéPuffs for Rosemary." Althea stated, putting down the menu.

"I daresay you haven't lost your exquisite taste."

"At least when it comes to tea, I can be quite picky, yes."

"Obviously; Dragon Well Tea is the finest green tea in the region." Wallace said matter-of-factly. "I do however think I'd be going for the..."

"My turn: Silver Needle Tea?"

"Correct."

"Seems you haven't lost touch either." Althea said with a smug smile. "The leaves dancing up and down in the glass are… well, with no better way of describing it, meditatively beautiful."

"A spot on description, rosebud, it both looks and tastes lovely."

The waiter soon came back with lemonade and spring water, as well as some snacks for both the trainers and their Pokémon. He took their orders and sometime later, both Althea and Wallace were sipping on their teas, watching Rosemary and Milotic share a bowl of sweet berry salad.

"This was for sure an excellent place to have brunch at, dewdrop, and thank you for reminding me of it." Althea said with a genuine smile.

"I'm more than happy to hear that you're satisfied, rosebud." Wallace said, returning her smile. "I do consider myself lucky; it's not every day I get to take a lovely lady out for brunch."

"Flattering, Wallace." Althea smiled smugly. "Although I do guess I should consider myself lucky as well; gentlemen are a rarity." Wallace chuckled.

"And now I would need to prove I am one, correct?" He turned in his chair and waved to the waiter, who came over in the blink of an eye and bowed. "May we have the check, please? It's on me."

"Of course, sir." The waiter bowed again and left to get their bill. Wallace turned to look at Althea to see her reaction, which didn't come. He was a bit taken aback.

"You're not even protesting. I have to say I'm impressed."

"And why would I do that?" Althea said, breathing in the scent of her tea before taking another sip. "Or rather, what point would there be doing that?"

"I have taken out a few ladies to dinner and coffee before, but when I insisted on paying, every single one of them protested before either giving in and letting me pay or actually paid for their own meal. I appreciate you didn't do either."

"Really? I find it offensive against the one offering to pay. If I want to pay for something, then I expect the other person to respect that." Althea stated clearly, finishing her tea.

"Fascinating, this is a side of you I've never seen before, and yet, we've been out for meals together before." Wallace said, finishing his tea as well. "I have to say I appreciate it."

"I supposed you would, but thanks for the compliment."

Soon enough, the waiter returned with their bill. Wallace paid and then helped her up from her chair before proceeding to escort her back to the seaside meadow for further work. Althea, already going through the rest of the day minute by minute in her mind, decided to check she remembered everything correctly.

"So, we work now until it's time for our first proper meeting, and after that we get a thorough tour of the contest areas by our assistants." She said. "There will probably be some time to spare before dinner, should we perhaps have a look at the script we will be getting at the meeting and try it out a bit? We will probably have to change a lot of it to make it sound more like… well, us."

"Sounds efficient, rosebud. I actually had a thought concerning the opening choreography, maybe Rosemary could start inside a rose and then…"

They went on brainstorming, sketching and trying out ideas, and let Rosemary and Milotic improvise together to get more used to working with one another once again. Althea felt invigorated by all of this, more alive than she had felt for a long time. She was enjoying herself to the fullest, and would do so for the next months.

When the door to his chambers closed behind him in the evening, Wallace found himself smiling from ear to ear. Working with Althea was even more easy and inspiring than he remembered, and their shared experience and ideas would surely make this a Contest Spectacular to remember for years to come. That is, at least for him.


	6. Chapter 6 - Keeping Busy

Chapter 6 – Keeping Busy

"Mr. Wallace, here's your updated schedule for the week, with the schedule you and Miss Althea handed in last week taken into consideration." Thomas said, walking alongside the host through the corridor from the dining area to the one of the conference rooms.

"Thank you, Thomas, this looks better than a week ago." Wallace said while scanning the paper the assistant had handed him. "And it's nice that you included our practice sessions as well, now we don't have to do it a second time."

"Glad to hear you're pleased, Mr. Wallace." Thomas smiled and opened the door to the conference room. "After you."

"Why, thank you."

~Meanwhile~

"I don't see how we could possibly bring forth your beauty even more, Miss Althea, but may I say you look astonishing." The seamstress said admiring the woman in front of her, wearing their creation.

Althea observed every angle of the kimono she was wearing, a tribute to Rosemary's colors of green, white, pink and blue, with a pink rose instead of a ribbon on her back. This was however only her dress for the opening of the contest. The tailors had presented her with five different creations: one for the opening, one for the competition, one for the quarter finals, one for the semi-finals and one for the grand finale. They were all absolutely amazing. Althea smiled at the seamstress and adjusted the rose on the small of her back a little.

"They are all most lovely, and this is absolutely suitable for the opening." She said. "I have no doubt my outfits here will compliment Mr. Wallace's well."

"They will, miss; we have taken everything into account, including the color of your eyes and hair as well as your length… for both of you. We have also thought about the colors of the contest, and we believe that all of these outfits will serve perfectly to compliment the whole." The seamstress smiled and came over to check the details. "This kimono should perhaps be a tad shorter, it almost touches the ground. I'll have that fixed as soon as possible."

"Thank you, ma'am, you're all doing admirable work here." Althea said, grateful. "I see time is running. I need to get to a meeting now."

"Of course, miss."

~After lunch~

"Milotic should perhaps let a light mist fall on the grass before the petals rise upwards, it would create the feeling of breaking dawn." Althea said, scanning through her papers looking for their latest sketch of the opening performance. "Also, we need to time it today again; we need to cut off yet another minute from it."

"We should maybe smoothen out the transition between the materialization of the ice rose and the point when it breaks into diamond dust." Wallace suggested, finding the paper he was looking for and making changes.

"True, and we should also see to it that Rosemary hands over the spotlight to Milotic slightly sooner after creating the petal frame."

"That means Milotic has to start making the water mirror in the frame a bit sooner so her reflection will be seen earlier."

"Exactly."

They had reached the upper terrace on the top floor of the Contest Spectacular Hall and sat down by a table in the sun to spread out the papers to get a proper look at their progress.

"And to think this is just for the opening of the contest…" Wallace said, trying to put things into perspective. "…and how much work we still have left for the finale."

"Indeed, but we're making good progress." Althea said, making a change on one of the sheets of paper. "The opening is about presenting the contest, us and our Pokémon. For the finale, it's really all about a proper show-off."

"Of course, and I believe we're better at the latter." Wallace smiled smugly and made some changes of his own.

"Of course we are." Althea chuckled slightly, and then turned a bit serious again to concentrate. "We should move the ice roses to the finale."

"They are more show-off, granted."

The two hosts went on for hours, making changes and discussing choreography. Rosemary and Milotic were having a time out, sleeping soundly in the cool shadow in the rooftop pool, the Roserade comfortably leaning against the larger Pokémon.

"Mr. Wallace." They looked up and found Wallace assistant Thomas standing beside the table.

"Yes, Thomas, what can I do for you?" Wallace asked, leaning back into his chair and took a sip of his lemonade.

"I'm sorry to interrupt your work, but you're needed at the tailors to try the length of your cape for the opening. And since you both are here, I can also tell you that you'll need to attend an extra meeting with the script writers in half an hour, the opening needs to be shortened by a minute or two, preferably three."

"I've been waiting for them to realize it's too long." Wallace said, before stretching and standing up, collecting his papers. "I will see you at the meeting, rosebud, and after that, we should probably have a new read-through."

"I agree, dewdrop." Althea said, nodding. "I'll put our latest discussion on paper and meet you in half an hour."

Wallace left with a bow and a smile, and Althea went to work, moving the ice rose part to the finale and trying to figure out a smooth way to shorten Rosemary's intro so Milotic would be handed the spotlight sooner. It felt invigorating working efficiently and hard for a contest again, she thought. The stress level for her was, at this point, only positive, meaning she got a lot done and that she greeted each and every day with a smile. The company certainly helped a lot.

Althea took a sip of lemonade and smiled to herself as she put in the finishing touches of their afternoon work on the opening performance. Pleasant thoughts filled her mind, and all of them happened to involve her co-host. There just was no denying it, she thought; might as well embrace it.

She was pretty sure he had similar feelings towards her as well, not that she could be a hundred percent certain. He had never crossed the line of actually being more than a very close friend, and Althea had been just fine with that and never crossed the line herself either. Back in the day, when they were the best of friends and worst of rivals at the same time, she had thought about it, but decided against properly crossing that fine line. She wanted them to remain close friends, and she had been scared that their friendship would suffer and shatter if they became a couple.

Yet, the old flame had come to life in her heart, and it was burning stronger than ever before. Maybe the time had come to actually… just maybe.

Althea sighed and started gathering her papers. She was grateful they had so much work to do, keeping them both so busy they barely remembered to have lunch, or go to sleep every night. Another adrenaline rush went through her and she smiled. The opening of the contest was only two weeks away, and this evening, they were scheduled to have their first proper go-through of the opening at the main stage.

Althea rose from her chair, stretched and went over to Rosemary and Milotic at the pool. She had ten minutes to spare before the meeting, meaning she would have time to show the drawings to them before she left. Rosemary was just as excited as she was about everything going on, and the Pokémon could hardly stand still when Althea showed them the new plan, making Milotic giggle. After telling them both she and Wallace would be back later and making them promise to behave, she left for the script meeting. All in all, it was a thrill to work again, and her co-host certainly made it all more pleasant.


	7. Chapter 7 - The Contest Begins

Chapter 7 – Welcome to the 50th annual Contest Spectacular!

Althea peeked out of the window with Rosemary beside her. The crowd outside was mind-bogglingly large. Although she knew the Contest Hall would be filled to the brim, seeing all those people standing outside waiting gave a whole other perspective to how big a thing contests actually were, especially in Hoenn. Granted, there were contestants and spectators from all regions, but Hoenn was the number one contest region of them all. The only one even coming close was Sinnoh.

"That's quite a crowd." Wallace said, peeking out of the window next to her.

"Indeed. I believe your crowd of fan girls is over there." Althea smiled smugly and pointed to a large group of (mostly) girls dressed in white with turquoise pompoms jumping up and down in excitement. Wallace chuckled.

"Looks like you're right, rosebud. That over there, however..." He said, pointing, "...looks like an enormous amount of roses. Your fans, I presume." This time, it was his turn to smirk.

Somehow, Althea had completely missed the ocean of what appeared to be a group of people, about twice as big as the Wallace fan girl club, dressed in green and waving with huge, red and white roses. People of all ages and an almost equal amount of males and females... yes, she recognized the outfits. She had seen similar once... years ago.

"Oh my..." she murmured, then laughed."...don't know how I missed those roses." She turned to Wallace. "Should we have breakfast now before heading backstage?"

"Well, now is our chance." Wallace agreed. They had risen at four in the morning to shower and get ready, through the hairdresser to the make-up artist and then to the tailors. After that, it had been time for lighting- and sound-check, as well as a final, quick walkthrough with everyone involved and a last minute staff meeting to check that everything was in order. It was now five to ten and the crowd would be let in at ten, the contest scheduled to start at noon.

"Roseraaade!" Rosemary exclaimed, nudging her trainer in excitement. She was definitely ready for anything. Althea giggled and hugged her Pokémon.

"Let's get something to eat and then head backstage." She said. "We need all the energy we can get. It's going to be a long day."

~Show-time~

The audience had filled every last seat of the contest hall. The judges were sitting at their table behind a satin red curtain, waiting to be introduced by the hosts. Lisia looked astonishing in her ocean blue and white dress, complete with an elegant hairdo that really brought out the lovely color of her eyes as well. She sent a glance over to Wallace and Althea and smiled, receiving two back. Rosemary and Milotic were both in position... and the last minute before noon was ticking down.

"Nervous, rosebud?" Wallace asked, smiling a bit smugly in her direction.

"Of course, dewdrop. So are you. Let's make the best of it." She replied, smiling just as smugly in return. Wallace chuckled.

"You're right, I'm nervous too... it's exhilarating."

"Indeed." Althea said, looking at the giant clock on the wall. "And it's show-time."

"Let's give them our best and more then." Wallace said. "Ready?"

"As ready as I'll ever be."

With one last wave to the judges, they went to stand behind another satin red curtain. Rosemary was instructed to begin precisely at noon, and so she did. Wallace and Althea watched on the monitor as their opening choreography unveiled in front of the audience.

Rosemary, camouflaged by a lush patch of grass with white and red rosebuds, created a sunny day in the hall and Milotic, also hidden, cast light morning dew over the stadium. The roses bloomed and Rosemary rose to her feet, her white rose blossoming the brightest of them all, revealing her to the audience. The cheers, ooh:s and aah:s told the story. When Rosemary created a frame of rose-petals and Milotic revealed herself in the mirror of water, the crowd definitely showed it had come for entertainment and a thrilling experience. Finally, the two Pokémon created a veil of mist, surrounded by roses. It was time.

Wallace and Althea grasped their microphones, put on their broadest smiles and then, the curtains opened before them. Wallace offered Althea his hand as they gracefully walked through the veil of mist, greeting the cheering audience with waves and smiles. Milotic landed soundlessly and gracefully beside her trainer, her body behind them. Rosemary jumped through the air, her cape flowing behind her, and landed soundlessly beside her trainer with an elegant bow.

"Welcome!" Wallace greeted the audience, both the one present and the one by the TV-screens at home, smiling to the camera as well, his voice booming through the speakers all around the hall. "Welcome to the 50th annual Contest Spectacular!" The crowd was on fire and the noise was there to prove it. Wallace continued: "May I introduce my co-host; after a long break, she is finally back: The Radiant Rose, Miss Althea!"

Althea curtseyed gracefully and smiled broadly, both at the audience and the camera.

"Thank you, it's a thrill to be back." She said. "And of course you know this handsome co-host of mine: The Morning Dew, Mr. Wallace!" The crowd cheered for him as well, as Wallace and Althea shared a smile. Althea continued: "We have three exiting weeks ahead of us, which compared to the first Contest Spectacular's duration of five days seems like an eternity." The audience was with her already, and "Althea!" and "Wallace!" shouts seemed to somehow break through everything else in the ocean of noise. "That probably means we should get going, don't you think, Wallace?"

"Indeed we should, Althea. It's time, ladies and gentlemen, to introduce the honorable judges of the 50th annual Contest Spectacular!"

"And here they are!" Althea continued, as the curtain in front of the judges started to open up from right to left.

"All the way from Hearthome City in Sinnoh, miss Casey!" Wallace announced. The pink haired nurse stood up and greeted the audience with a curtsey.

"The most competent and competitive Mr. Chaz!" Althea continued. The blonde young man stood up and bowed.

"And of course, a legend of her own time, miss Lisia!" Wallace said, finally. Lisia stood up and curtseyed, smiling and waving at the audience. Her energy level was definitely on top of the world. It was time for the judges' speech, and Lisia grabbed the microphone on the table to get on with it. Althea glanced at the clock on the wall. They were still on schedule, which was good.

"As the judges of the 50th annual Contest Spectacular, we hope to see fair play, just battles and outstanding performances. We also wish for each and every one of you, coordinator, spectator and Pokémon alike, to enjoy and have great time for the next three weeks. Coordinators – be yourselves, show off your skills and remember to have fun! That way, we will make the most extraordinary and splendid Contest Spectacular ever!" She smiled and took the cheers and applause, casting a glance at the time before continuing. "Casey, what do you look forward seeing?"

Casey leaned towards her microphone.

"I wish to see Pokémon and coordinator working together as a team, as friends. We have already seen an excellent example of this today, there was a lot of hard work behind that astonishing performance. Thank you, Miss Althea and Rosemary, Mr. Wallace and Milotic."

Over the never ending cheers from the crowd, Lisia continued.

"Thank you, Casey. What about you, Chaz?"

"Well coordinated, spectacular performances and beautiful battles is what I look forward to, and as Casey said, this can only be achieved through great teamwork and friendship between Pokémon and coordinator. I thank you as well; Miss Althea, Mr. Wallace, and your skilled Pokémon for an outstanding performance." He smiled and nodded towards the hosts.

"And last but not least, for my part, I'd like to see both coordinator and Pokémon having fun together, do each other and other competitors justice, and remember that the participation always is worth more than winning. Back to you Althea, Wallace."

"Thank you, Lisia. A round of applause for the judges!" Althea said, as all three waved once more. "And now the moment has come to formally announce the 50th annual Contest Spectacular opened."

"For that, we would need all of you to give the warmest welcome to the Chair of the Contest Spectacular Board." Wallace continued.

"The man who sees to it that all of this is possible: Mr. Rudolf Rouge!" Althea said, as the curtain opened to reveal the elderly, but radiant, man with the white moustache. Dressed in a tux, a top hat and a black and red cape, he made his way over to the podium.

"Welcome! Welcome, all of you, to the 50th annual Contest Spectacular! And how spectacular it is indeed to see the contest hall filled to the very last seat, and knowing how hard everyone here has worked to get all of this together. We have three weeks ahead of us, but I'd already like to thank the Contest Spectacular Board, the staff as a whole, and give a warm welcome and all my gratitude to our most outstanding judges..." He motioned towards the table where Lisia, Chaz and Casey were sitting once again taking the applauses. "...and our most honorable hosts!" There was no doubt that the hosts and Lisia were by far the three most popular people involved in the contest, at least according to the cheering crowd and the large fan-bases seen amongst the audience, wearing specific clothes and waving banners.

"On the behalf of the Contest Spectacular Board, I hereby announce the 50th annual Contest Spectacular opened. Let the show commence!" Mr. Rouge took the applauses as three huge screens were lowered down from somewhere above the ceiling; the coordination-, battle and scoreboards.

Althea glanced at the time and then at Wallace, who acknowledged her gaze. It was time to get on with it.

"The Chair of the Board has spoken." He said. "That means there's only one thing left for us to do. Althea?"

Althea smiled, looked at Rosemary and nodded.

"Roserade!" Rosemary said dramatically into the microphone.

"I'll translate that for you." Althea said, lifting her arm in a dramatic gesture. "It's show-time!"

The crowds cheers would never end as Wallace and Althea took their places and sat down to enjoy the show. Their job now was to comment on the performances and then occasionally interview participants, both on-stage and backstage. They would take turns doing the backstage interviews, but for now, it was time to introduce the first competitors.

This was going to be a long, but exciting, day.


	8. Chapter 8 - May I have this Dance?

Chapter 8 – May I have this Dance?

The first day of the 50th annual Contest Spectacular was over, which meant a smaller party was being held to celebrate a successful opening. Althea, however grateful everything had gone well and proud of every single person that had worked so hard for it, felt she needed to be alone for a while. Having spent years away from all the fuss and noise and then spending two consecutive weeks working tirelessly and hard with a lot of people around her all the time, she was definitely in need for a moment of peace and quiet.

She therefore left the party, only passing a word to Betty not to be worried, and went over to the lonely lighthouse by the seashore. She sat down on a bench, sighing and watching the deep, dark blue ocean, only lit by the white moon. She felt herself relax. Even though she could hear noise from the several parties going on at once, she was able to tune them out and just lean back for a while. Rosemary was already sleeping peacefully in their chambers, and she had a feeling she would like to join the tiny Pokémon soon.

~Back at the staff party~

Wallace signed an autograph for a couple of staff members that thanked him with broad smiles as they went over to the cocktail table to have another glass of whatever they were having. Wallace looked around for Althea, but couldn't find her anywhere. Had she left already? Without telling him? No, she wouldn't do that. He had escorted her there and he had promised to escort her back later as well, which she had agreed to.

Just as he was about to walk around a bit to look for his co-hostess further, Thomas and Betty came up to him.

"Mr. Wallace, sir." Betty said, holding Thomas' arm. "You're looking for Miss Althea, correct? She said she needed some peace and quiet, but would be back later, as she found it a bit unfair towards you not to join in for a while before retiring for tonight. She also said that should you still seek her company, you'd know where to find her."

Wallace blinked. Had he really been that readable? And how would he know where to look for Althea? He smiled at the assistants.

"Thank you for telling me. I shall go find Althea, although I don't want to disturb her peace and quiet. I'll promise to be… quiet." He winked at them, and they both smiled back.

"That's no problem; I think she would like your company." Betty said. "Shall we have one more Dry Martini, Thomas?"

"Sounds like a plan, Betty. Good luck, Mr. Wallace." Thomas nodded to him with a wink of his own and then escorted Betty over to the bar. Wallace looked after them. Oh how they knew what he wanted to do...

With his heart racing in his chest, Wallace headed out of the building, thinking hard. He had a feeling where the green-haired beauty might have gone, and he hoped he had got it right. Feeling nervous but confident, he headed for the only place where there wasn't some kind of party going on: the lighthouse.

~At the lighthouse~

Wallace stopped when he spotted her, sitting on a bench, captured in the silvery light of the moon. Her deep blue and green kimono made her melt in with the scenery so well it would have been a challenge to spot her unless you knew exactly what you were looking for. She seemed relaxed, looking somewhere in the distance towards the dark horizon. With Butterfrees fluttering around in his stomach, Wallace made his way over to her.

Althea was watching the scenery, feeling calm and collected, when she felt a presence nearby. He had come to find her. She felt her heart race when she heard him walking towards her. This was it, she knew it. And she was deeply nervous.

Here went nothing.

"May I have this dance?" Wallace said, offering her his hand. He had hoped to dance with her tonight, and he was going to do so, whether at a party or not. Althea looked up at him and smiled.

"Of course." She replied, taking his hand and standing up. Wallace guided her closer and placed his other hand on the small of her back while she put hers on his shoulder. Somewhere in the distance, Wallace could make out a beat. A waltz. Deciding to follow the tune he heard, he started to move and Althea with him, gracefully following his lead.

"You've been practicing." Althea said, a smug smile forming on her lips. Wallace chuckled.

"You remembered." He said, twirling her under his arm and catching her in his embrace again. "A part of me hoped you had forgotten."

"How could I ever, it was hilarious." Althea chuckled softly.

Wallace wasn't always a graceful dancer. In fact, it had been his weakness, but he had agreed to dance with Althea anyway, years ago. Hadn't she been more skilled, her toes would've been blue for weeks to come.

"I decided I couldn't be that bad a dancer if I wanted to dance with you." Wallace said matter-of-factly.

"You're very straightforward tonight, aren't you?" Althea said, feeling her cheeks glow red. Wallace smirked.

"I guess I am." He admitted as he twirled her around again. "And I'm curious as ever. We haven't really had any contact in years, yet it feels like we were never apart. Did you ever think of me during these years, rosebud?"

Had Althea been red before, she now probably had turned to the shade of her brightest roses. He had been on her mind ever so often during the years they spent apart, the thought of him making her smile even when she was down and out. Could she admit all this to him?

"…of course I have. That smirk of yours is sort of etched into my brain." She smiled smugly. "Yes, you've been on my mind, and I daresay quite often." Wallace smirked back and dipped her down, his lips achingly close to hers. She could feel his hot breath on her skin and shivered slightly.

"Just like you've been on my mind them. Glad to hear I've been missed, because there's really no denying I've missed you."

He brought her up again from the dip, his grip around her tightening only slightly.

"…I've waited too long, dewdrop. I just didn't realize it until the moment I saw you a month ago." Althea murmured. She so desperately wanted this man. Right now. Wallace chuckled.

"Oh dear. Can't have you waiting any longer then…" he murmured, bringing her closer and whispering in her ear: "…rosebud."

The following moment, Wallace had completely closed the gap between them, catching her lips in a longing, passionate kiss. Althea gasped a bit in surprise at the sudden affection, but regained some composure quickly and kissed him back.

The kiss held all the feelings that had been awoken during the last month. The desperate longing and the burning passion that had been silently bubbling underneath now shot through the surface like a geyser. This was how it should be, this was how it was supposed to be, and it should've been like this a long time ago already.

They broke the kiss to stare deep into each other's eyes, looking for answers to questions they didn't need to speak aloud. Althea broke the silence:

"Too long…" she murmured.

"Indeed…" Wallace murmured back, tightening his grip around her once more, bringing her closer. He looked into her green orbs with his turquoise ones. "I'm kicking myself; I should have done this sooner. I'm eternally sor-…" Wallace was cut off by Althea finding his lips again, eager for another kiss. She broke apart again just to huskily whisper "So am I." before claiming his lips with hers again.

There was no knowing how long they stood there, lost in each other's arms, touches and kisses before they finally gave themselves time to breathe. It felt like an eternity. Looking into each other's eyes, her green orbs and his turquoise ones, they shared floods of emotions, all in silent understanding. After another eternity, Althea was once again the one to break the silence.

"We should probably head back."

"We should." Wallace agreed, his gaze not leaving her for a second. "It's late, rosebud, and we have a long day ahead of us tomorrow. Let's head back to our quarters, shall we?"

"Yes, it's probably for the best." Althea agreed. "Let's head straight for our quarters, I have a feeling Rosemary's getting a bit anxious already."

"So might Milotic, I suppose." Wallace mumbled. He kissed her once more in the shine from the light house, then finally let go and offered her his arm instead. Althea took it, a tighter grip than usual, which made them both smiled when they realized it, and they started walking back to their quarters.

"This shouldn't be official yet, don't you agree?" Althea murmured softly.

"I believe you're right, let's not go shouting about it just yet. It would be a paparazzi nightmare for us." Wallace answered, half joking, half serious. They already had paparazzi mayhem at the Contest, and they simply didn't need any more of it. Preferably, they would have a lot less of it… or better yet, none at all.

"Let's recap the schedule for tomorrow one more time." Althea suggested. They really needed to, since although they had a set system, each day was a bit different. Wallace nodded in agreement, waiting for her to continue. "Alarm goes off at 4:00…"

"Hair and make-up at 4:30."

"Tailor's at 5:30."

"Breakfast at 6:00."

"Staff meeting and last go-through of the minute-program at 6:30."

"Sound-, lights- and camera-check at 7:15."

"Prep-talk for the day's contestants at 8:00."

"Cameras roll at 9:00."

"We both start at the arena, and then you take first pass backstage."

"I do, rosebud, and we keep going until 11:00, when it's lunchtime."

"Lunch at 11:15, staff meeting at 11:30, cameras roll at 12:00."

"You have the backstage until 2:00, when it's the second break."

"Grab a coffee and a snack, staff meeting at 2:30, cameras roll at 3:00."

"We both have the arena for the battle part, cameras stop rolling when the last battle is finished between 8:00 and 9:00."

"Assistants will bring refreshments and snacks around 5:00 and 7:00."

"Staff meeting at 9:30 and dinner at 10:00."

"Warm bed at 11:00." Althea mused, finally, already exhausted when thinking about the upcoming weeks. It was going to be mind-bogglingly huge. Wallace smiled smugly.

"Already at 11:00? I was going to ask if you'd like a glass of wine before bedtime tomorrow, but…"

"Warm bed at midnight then." Althea cut in, smiling back just as smugly.

"Thought so."

"So cocky." She said, and before he could protest, she kissed him on the lips to shut him up. It worked brilliantly.

They had now reached their quarters and were to head separate ways for the night. Wallace took Althea into his embrace and kissed her passionately, not really wanting to let her go into her own room. But their Pokémon were waiting… After what felt like an eternity and beyond, they broke apart, smiling widely at each other. Finally, they had admitted their true feelings to each other, and it felt absolutely wonderful.

"I'll see you soon again, morning isn't far away…" Althea murmured into his ear, her warm, gentle breath sending a shiver down Wallace's spine. Just as close and gently, he responded:

"I can't wait until morning to see you again, rosebud. Sleep tight now."

"You too, dewdrop."

With one last, longing kiss, they separated, holding each other's hands as long as they could before the distance broke them apart and they went into their separate rooms. Althea fell down on her bed, still with her clothes on, smiling from ear to ear. She managed to set the alarm clock before simply falling asleep, dreaming about her handsome co-host.

Wallace did a skip of joy when he entered the room and hummed to himself while preparing for a few hours of sleep. Althea, The Radiant Rose, endlessly beautiful and kind at heart, the woman of his dreams actually liked him back. With all of him filled with indescribable happiness, he fell asleep, hugging the sheets as if they were the woman in question.


	9. Chapter 9 - Quarter Finals and Wine

Chapter 9 – Quarter Finals and a Glass of Wine

"What a stunning performance, Olivia and Ginnie are on _fire_ today!" Althea said, aware of the pun since Ginnie the Vulpix had just used a brilliant Flame Wheel combined with a Quick Attack to create something spectacular. "And they need to be, because we're only at the quarter finals and the stakes are higher than ever!" She smiled at Olivia, who was beaming at her with a happy Ginnie in her arms. Althea went over for a quick interview. "What a great start to the quarter finals, and you two certainly set the bar high right from the beginning. How are you feeling?" Olivia laughed with relief and joy.

"I'm very, very proud of Ginnie and I know she's happy as well. We've trained really hard for this, and we'll continue to do so, because we want to win the Contest Spectacular!"

Olivia's fans were cheering, and the audience was applauding. She was one of the favorites in the competition after all. Althea smiled warmly.

"With hard work and a lot of love and trust, you might be able to do just that. Now let's see what the judges think, shall we?"

Althea could feel Olivia's nervousness as she waited for the judges to reveal their scores. She held Ginnie tight to her chest for comfort, as the Vulpix was completely calm and collected.

First up was Casey, always smiling, warm and encouraging to the contestants.

"Olivia, I scored your performance 9 out of 10." She said, revealing the score on the overhead TV. Olivia breathed out slowly. "I found your performance well-composed and a strong bond between Pokémon and trainer. However, you still have work to do with your communication during the performance itself, because at one point, Ginnie was lost, just for a second, and you trusted her so much you didn't help her out with a command, and for that, I take off a point. Well done, both of you."

Casey nodded to Chaz on the other side of the table. Olivia's gaze was now focused on him. He was by far the toughest judge of the three. Chaz eyed her for a second, which made her blush, before he started talking.

"Olivia, I scored your performance…" he paused, letting a little tension build up. "…7 out of 10. I really do think it was a well-composed and impressive routine, there's no doubt about that, but Miss Casey was being nice. You need to work on the communication during a performance, and you also need to make sure your Pokémon is always the center of attention, and both were flaws I needed to consider, and I take off three points since I find them both very important and relevant. Work on that, and you will create something far beyond our expectations. Over to you, Lisia." Chaz leaned back in his chair.

Lisia smiled at Olivia, struggling not to roll her eyes at Chaz.

"Chaz is being very picky now. But I do agree with him that Casey is being nice, and that's why, Olivia, I've scored your performance 8 out of 10." The crowd was cheering. Olivia had gotten really good scores. "I need to take two points off because of the communication issue, and also for those tiny seconds when Ginnie just wasn't the center of attention, when she was completely lost in the sea of fire and golden stars. It was stunning, but it didn't show off your Pokémon. On the positive side, your bond is really strong, and you have a natural eye for beautiful chorography, which I hope will thrill us further in the future. Your total score from the performance round in the quarter finals is 24 out of a possible 30. Thank you." Lisia smiled and nodded to Olivia, who looked relieved. 24 points was quite a high score.

"One more round of applause for Olivia and Ginnie!" Althea said, as Olivia took one last curtsey together with Ginnie before heading backstage. "And without further ado, let's bring on our next contestants: Adrian and Elektra!" As the next contestant entered the stage with his Zebstrika.

Wallace watched the TV backstage, waiting for the second contestant to finish so he could interview a couple of waiting competitors that would perform later on. He watched as Althea called in the next contestant, and was certain one of the camera men was a bit lost in thought when he followed the hostess instead of focusing on the star of the next two minutes. A smug smile formed on his face. She was a stunning sight to behold, and she was all his. Not that anyone knew about it, and wouldn't for a while longer. To be truthful to himself, he really couldn't wait until this day was over so he could sit down with her in his quarters accompanied by a glass of wine each…

Wallace snapped out of his thoughts when he realized Adrian and his Zebstrika were close to finish their performance. Focus! He adjusted his beret and turned to the film crew behind him.

"All set?" He asked, raising an eyebrow.

"All set and ready for action." The director confirmed. "Rolling in 50 seconds."

"Check." Wallace confirmed, turned around again and strode in to the contestants green room. Time for action.

~Afternoon break~

"Alright, let's focus for a second everyone!" The head director said as the staff gathered for their afternoon briefing. There was a lot of noise and chatter as people sat down with their food and coffee. "Guys, focus, our time is limited as usual!"

The chatter died out and the director breathed a sigh of relief. Althea reached for her small notebook while continuing to eat her salad, casting a glance at Wallace beside her, who also reached for his notebook while chewing on his baguette. He caught her eye and gave her a smile, which she returned. They were doing great.

"Let's make this as short as possible." The director said, placing his notes in front of him. "Judges and hosts, you all seem to be in a really good headspace as usual, I love it! Keep up the good work and today's show is in a bag." The staff applauded as the judges, Wallace and Althea made slight bows in the form of nods as thanks for the compliment. "Right, moving on; tailors, hair and make-up, everyone on camera is radiating today, you're doing a smashing job as usual, amazing stuff!" Everyone applauded the tailors, make-up artists and hairdressers, who also nodded, grateful. "Backstage film crew, you need to do a second sound check before Althea starts interviewing the first pair of battlers, there seemed to be a couple of minor difficulties earlier today, and I don't want any difficulties at all. As for the backstage camera, good work, keep it up. Audience film crew, you're doing well, but check camera four, it seems to shake more than the others, find out what's wrong with it. Arena film crew, you're doing better today than yesterday, which is a good sign, remember to keep eye contact and communicate _all the time_ , so the cameramen know which cameras are being shown on TV. We're sending live, after all, which I shouldn't have to remind you about. Get that communication working, and get on with giving the audiences at home something stunning to look at."

"Well, that's easy; they just need to keep filming you." Wallace murmured in Althea's ear as the staff applauded the film crews. A shiver went down Althea's spine as his warm breath met her skin and his soft, charming voice made her skin tingle. Still, a smirk formed on her face as she murmured back:

"Flattering, dewdrop, flattering. You can do better than that."

"Putting pressure on me, are you? Don't worry, rosebud, I have something in store for you tonight."

"I really hope it's red and in a bottle."

"That's a part of the whole, love, wouldn't like to be too predictable."

"Right, guys, finish off your coffee and be stand by in ten minutes, we're rolling in twenty!"

"Let's get this day in a bag then, shall we?" Althea said, gulping down her coffee and standing up. Wallace copied her actions and they headed out of the meeting area to have a quick check at the hairdressers, make-up artists and tailors before going on camera again.

Wallace looked around in the corridor they were walking through. No one was around. He quickly grabbed Althea's hand, pulled her closer and gave her a short and passionate kiss. Althea was taken by surprise, but kissed him back. They quickly broke apart and continued to walk, not wanting to be spotted.

"Bold move, dewdrop, we don't want to be seen like that just yet." Althea murmured quietly, looking around to make sure no one was around.

"I couldn't resist, rosebud." Wallace murmured back. "I guess I'll have to restrain myself for a while longer."

"All in good time, darling, all in good time…" Althea said, winking at him and smirking. Wallace smirked back. Indeed. All in good time… tonight.

~Later~

Althea put on her evening gown and went over to Rosemary to check on her.

"You doing okay, Rose?" Althea said, kneeling beside the Pokémon, which was already half asleep of exhaustion. "I'll be back later, as always. No need to worry."

"Roooose…" Rosemary sighed, content. Althea petted her gently.

"Sleep tight, honey." She kissed her companion on the cheek and Rosemary breathed out, slowly, her roses closing themselves as she slowly fell asleep. Althea smiled, then stood up and headed for the door. Finally, some time alone with Wallace.

Althea went over to her co-hosts door and knocked lightly. She didn't have to wait long before it was opened by a tall, handsome man, smugly smiling down at her. Althea returned the smile, leaning casually against the doorframe.

"Evening, handsome." She said, winking at him. "Sorry to keep you waiting, I just felt I needed to be…" She dramatically examined her fingernails, before turning her gaze back to him. "…fashionably late." Wallace's smirk grew wider.

"You're such a tease, aren't you, gorgeous?" He said, winking back. He opened the door a bit wider and stepped aside, bowing. "Please do step inside my humble quarters."

"Why, thank you, love." Althea entered Wallace's quarters and he swiftly closed the door behind her, immediately catching her in his arms and kissing her with fierce passion. Althea melted in his embrace, her hands finding their way around his neck, kissing him back. She had waited all day, yet another day, for this moment, and she was going to savor every little bit of it.

What felt like much later they broke apart, panting slightly. Both Althea's and Wallace's cheeks had turned pink from the warmth. Althea's heart was pumping hard in her chest, and she could feel Wallace's heart doing the same. She composed herself. Not too fast. She met his gaze, smiling widely.

"I did come for this, dewdrop, but you promised me a glass of wine, and you haven't failed me once during the last two weeks." Wallace chuckled, returning her smile with one just as wide.

"And I won't fail you tonight either, flower, don't you worry. You'll have to excuse me, I have a hard time keeping my hands off you, I'm afraid."

Althea couldn't help but giggle as he walked her over to the huge couch. As she made herself comfortable, he Wallace went to pull out a bottle of red wine from the wine rack. He took two glasses from the cabinet and came over to the couch, placing the delicate glasses on the table.

"Fine Kalosian wine for a fine Hoenn lady." He stated with a smirk as he opened the bottle and poured the deep red liquid into the glasses. Althea smiled.

"Much appreciated." She said as he handed her a glass, which she gracefully accepted. She lifted hers. "Cheers. For another successful day."

"And for the most amazing hostess Contest Spectacular has ever seen."

"Right back at you, handsome." Althea said before taking a sip. It came with a taste of fresh Kalosian berries. "This is delicious." She commented, licking her lips.

"It is indeed." Wallace agreed. He leaned in to kiss her, tasting the wine on her lips. "It's even more delicious this way though." He murmured huskily, kissing her again. Althea giggled again.

"And you call _me_ a tease." She said, taking another sip of her wine. "Now, it is my turn to ask the first question this evening, if I remember correctly."

"You do, love; it's your turn to go first." Wallace nodded.

They had made a habit of drinking wine and asking each other a few questions each that they both had to answer every evening. It had a really nice and relaxing, yet exciting, way to end a stressful day with just casual chit-chat, a glass of wine and learning something new about each other in the process… in between all the make-out sessions.

"Well, then, Wallace." Althea said; forming the question she had in mind into an actual question. "When did you last sing to yourself and why?" Wallace couldn't help but chuckle. Althea was really good at this, taking every opportunity to make him expose himself completely in front of her.

"About an hour and a half ago, when I exited the shower and thought about you coming over… because I was in good mood, knowing you would come over. And you?"

"About an hour, forty-five minutes ago when I was getting dressed after the shower to come over here. I was excited to see you, and in my happiness I sang." Althea admitted, satisfied with the answer. "Your turn."

"Indeed. Althea…" Wallace said, leaning casually towards her, only slightly. "…what would constitute a 'perfect' day for you?" Althea smiled.

"Good one, dewdrop. I don't think there is only one answer to this question, because a perfect day could be different elements of things I like and love put together in constellations that would compose different perfect days for me. But I'll give an example. A perfect day would start with a fabulous morning. Sunshine, the lovely scent of Dragon Well Tea, a flowering garden, the sound and smell of the sea, a happy Rosemary and a bunch of lovely Roselias greeting the day. I would like a slow morning, reading, drinking tea, taking it easy. Then I would get to work, which would keep me occupied, have a lovely lunch and tea break in lovely company, get back to work and finish late in the afternoon. I would tend to the garden for some time, take a shower, then prepare and cook a dinner that I'd love to share with you…" She nodded towards him, letting Wallace know it wasn't a slip. "…have a smashing dessert and some red wine, sit down on the couch in the candlelight and wind down before heading to bed, relaxed and content." She pondered for a moment. "Yes, that's it. That about sums up something I would call a perfect day." She leaned in for a kiss. "Your turn."

"Fair enough." Wallace said, giving her another kiss. "Well then, a perfect day… it would start with a good training session by the lake in Sootopolis with my Pokémon, and a wholesome breakfast to follow. I'd like to have a couple of strong challengers, to which I'd be happy to give away the gym badge if they won or coach them on a bit if they lose. I would tend to the gym and all my staff in the afternoon, seeing to it that all is well. I'd very much like to join you for dinner, as you so kindly invited me…" He smiled smugly towards Althea. "…and that smashing dessert sounds lovely as well. I'd then spend the rest of the evening with you, and preferably…" He winked at her. "…accompany you to bed as well for a good night's sleep."

"That's straightforward of you, dewdrop." Althea smirked back, leaning in for a kiss. Wallace smirk returned after the kiss.

"With you, I dare to." He murmured, embracing her tightly and kissing her hungrily.

Althea kissed him back, letting herself go for a while. They had been going on like this for half a month, and she just couldn't seem to get enough of it. Oh, Wallace, charming, handsome Wallace…

Eventually they broke apart, seemingly an eternity later, Althea sitting in Wallace lap.

"Wallace…" she murmured, keeping her face still close to his. "…I'd like nothing more than to stay, you know that, but it's getting late, and we have work to do tomorrow. I should be heading to bed, and so should you."

"Aww, why can't we both head to bed… you know, to the same bed?" Wallace said, pouting, but the twinkle in his eyes suggested he already knew exactly why that wasn't a possible scenario, at least not yet. Althea giggled, pecking him on the lips and standing up.

"At my quarters tomorrow night?" she said, tilting her head, smiling. Wallace got up from the couch as well, smiling.

"Absolutely. But, I did say I had something in store for you tonight, and I want you to have it before you leave. Can't break a promise, can I?"

"Wait, so the 'something' wasn't that excellent Kalosian wine?" Althea said, a bit confused. It was by far the best wine they had had so far, and for her special enough to be the "something".

"Oh, no, it wasn't that. Didn't I say I don't like to be predictable?" Wallace to a step towards her and whispered softly in her ear: "Close your eyes, rosebud."

Althea did as she was told, a million thoughts running through her head. What was he doing? What had he planned? She definitely hadn't been ready for this and felt a bit nervous… in a good way. It was quite exciting, not knowing exactly what to expect. A short while later, she once again felt his hot breath on her skin, sending a tingling sensation down her spine.

"You can open your eyes now, love."

Althea opened her eyes, blinked, then gasped, clamping her hand over her mouth. Then a huge smile formed on her face. She looked at Wallace, awestruck.

"Where did you find this?"

"In the archives. Thought we should have a proper look at it at some point." Wallace smirked. "I just figured I'd show it to you now, and then wait till we actually have time and energy to really have a good look at it."

"I can't believe it…" Althea murmured, taking the thick photo album from Wallace with shaky hands. The picture on the cover was taken years ago, portraying herself and Rosemary, Wallace and Milotic at the triumph moment of their first ever co-op performance. The label on the album read: _The Radiant Rose and the Morning Dew_. Their age-old nicknames.

"Someone working for the Contest Spectacular has obviously thought of us as a couple." Wallace smirked. "I haven't had a look inside yet, because I'd like to share that with you."

"I think…" Althea said, trying to grasp the situation, still feeling a bit gob smacked. "…I think we should look at it after the Grand Finale, when it's all over. Then we have something to look forward to."

"Or, we could look at a few pages each evening, and the rest after the Grand Finale." Wallace suggested, taking back the album that Althea was offering him and putting it down on the table.

"…sounds reasonable. But why did you wait until now to show it to me?" Wallace chuckled, looking a bit embarrassed.

"Well, to tell the truth, I found it in the archives this morning when I decided to go down there to look for old photos and documents, that I though could maybe give some extra inspiration to our routine for the finals. I stumbled over this, and I was going to show it earlier tonight, but really just got carried away… Sorry about that." He said, smiling, blushing. Althea chuckled.

"I see, I'm that distracting." She smirked. "I'll take that as a compliment."

"Good." Wallace murmured, embracing her and kissing her, longingly, not wanting her to leave at all. Althea kissed him back with the same feeling of longing, strengthening the emotion. What felt like an era later, they broke apart, keeping close.

"Good night, dewdrop." She murmured, giving him one last kiss and opening the door.

"Sleep tight, rosebud." He murmured back, holding her hand as long as he could before closing the door behind her. Wallace headed back over to the couch and slumped down on it, finishing his glass of wine in a sweep. He sighed contently, a smile playing on his lips. He was one lucky man indeed.

Althea closed the door to her chamber and went straight over to her bed, lying down on it with a satisfied grin on her face. There was no doubt she was actually falling in love with this charming man on the other side of the corridor, and she couldn't possibly be happier about that. For what a man Wallace was, indeed…


	10. Chapter 10 - Time to Shine

Chapter 10 – Time to Shine

"This is it – our time to shine." Wallace said dramatically, the trademark smirk playing on his lips. He and Althea were standing backstage, waiting for the cue to begin their proper show-off, co-op routine. Althea smirked back.

"At least it's Rosemary's and Milotic's time to shine." She agreed, casting a glance at herself in the mirror once more to see to it that every last strand of hair lay exactly where it needed to, and that her kimono was spot on and correctly fastened.

"A Pokémon's time is its trainer's time and vice versa." Wallace said, doing the same thing Althea was doing, and perfected the angle of his pearl-white beret. He then turned his gaze to her. "Do I need to tell you?"

"Thank you most graciously for the compliment, and now let me return it." Althea smiled, curtseying. Wallace chuckled and bowed elegantly.

"Thank you, indeed. You do look stunning though, rosebud."

"So do you, dewdrop."

The tailors had worked really hard on the host's outfits for the finals, seeing to it that they would really shine and remind everyone, competitor and spectator alike, what they should be looking forward to when the four finalists were going up against each other. They had really taken their nicknames into consideration when they planned their outfits and looks together with the hairdressers and make-up artists, as well as Rosemary and Milotic, and the results were mind-bogglingly amazing.

Wallace, The Morning Dew, was dressed in an eye-watering, pearly white beret and cape. The inside of the cape was colored turquoise to match his hair, and had a water-droplet pattern. The suit he wore was also an eye-watering pearl-white, but the collar and the belt was turquoise, as were his shoes. On his right arm he wore a silver bracelet, reaching from his wrist to his elbow, elegant and decorative, with small sapphires and aquamarines creating water-droplets here and there.

The Radiant Rose, Althea, had her lush, green hair loose and wore a tiara of deep red roses. Her kimono was pearl-white (to match Wallace and Rosemary's cape), with a green leaf pattern along the seams and red roses around them. Instead of a ribbon on her back, she had a giant, red rose. She wore earrings in silver with a ruby rose each, and her uchiva (hand fan) was, of course, shaped like a red rose, with green leaves that matched her hair and the pattern on her kimono.

The noise from the crowd inside told them it was soon time to start. Althea cast a glance over to the judges, sitting by their table, watching the monitor, waiting. They were all dressed to perfection, and Lisia was most certainly glowing in her blue and white, light kimono. Althea smiled. Ali the Altaria had certainly inspired the tailors in their choice there. Suddenly, she heard a voice in her ear:

"Hosts: Althea, Wallace, one minute to your routine."

"Copy." Both of them mumbled in their well-hidden staff microphones. Althea signaled to Rosemary to be ready any minute, and Wallace did the same to Milotic on the other side of the stage. Rosemary nodded and disappeared under the stage, taking her position. Milotic blinked and flew upwards, above the stage, well hidden. They were ready.

"Let's give them our best and more." Wallace said, kissing his co-hostess on the cheek. Althea smiled.

"We will, literarily, blossom." She murmured, winking at him. Wallace chuckled, but she was right. They would.

"Twenty seconds, hosts."

"Copy."

Althea reached for Wallace's hand and gave it a light squeezed. He returned the squeeze, flashing her a smile. This was exhilarating.

"Ten, nine, eight…" The voice began counting down. Althea breathed in and out, slowly, before parting with Wallace and placing herself on the right side of the stage, while he went left.

"…five, four, three…"

Althea lift her hand, making eye-contact with Rosemary, who was hiding under a patch of grass in surrounding the pond they had made for the routine. No one else could see the Pokémon, all was carefully planned. In the corner of her eye, she could see Wallace lift his hand as well, making eye-contact with Milotic.

"…one. Action!"

Althea flicked her hand. Rosemary created a breeze and sent petals and leaves flying over the pond. Milotic cast a hazy mist down from above, freezing the leaves and the petals, still dancing in the breeze. They landed smoothly on the now frosty water. Rosemary cast Sunny Day, starting to melt the ice, and made her presence known by rising up on vines, twirling, dancing. She moved around the lake, creating a huge rose from the petals and leaves that now twirled up from the surface of the pond. Finally, she took a leap from the rose upwards as it suddenly froze again and shattered into several, smaller ice-flowers. Milotic lowered herself from the ceiling, and the ice flowers hooked onto the Aqua Rings around her. She landed elegantly on the lake and started to swim, creating the most beautiful patterns of ice and water in a stunning choreography. Rosemary landed on the stairs of vines she had created earlier and joined Milotic in the routine. Together, the two Pokémon combined their powers to make the already awestruck audience stare, mouth open, as water and grass came together in something truly… spectacular. Fit for the finals of the Contest Spectacular.

Finally, Milotic landed on the lake, and as Rosemary lowered herself through the air on a giant rose, she did Dazzling Gleam, and for a second, everything turned white and shiny, making it impossible to see for a brief moment of time. That second over, Rosemary had landed on her rose on the pond beside Milotic, and their coordinators had appeared on the pedestal of vines and roses the grass-type had created.

The ear-shattering noise from the audience made it clear that today the stakes were high. This was what they were expecting, something worthy of the finals of the 50th annual Contest Spectacular. Wallace and Althea smiled and waved, as their Pokémon took their bows with grace. Althea lifted her microphone, time to get started.

"Welcome!" The cheers were never-ending, but they had to break through. "Welcome, ladies and gentlemen, to the Grand Final of the 50th annual Contest Spectacular!" More cheers. Oh, sweet Arceus the noise… Althea felt the adrenaline pumping in her body. She was on a thrilling ride, indeed.

"A round of applause for Rosemary and Milotic!" Wallace announced, letting the audience let off some steam. Milotic and Rosemary took another bow, as professionally as ever. "And now, ladies and gentlemen, another round of applause for our honorable judges. You know them!"

The curtains opened and revealed the three judges, standing by their table, waving and smiling.

"All the way from Hearthome city in Sinnoh, Miss Casey!" Althea announced, continuing. "Hailing from Lilycove City itself, Mr. Chaz! And of course, originating from Sootopolis City, Miss Lisia!" The audience was on fire. They had waited weeks, months even, for this moment, and it was finally here. The hosts couldn't have them wait any longer. They were still on schedule. Perfect.

"And without further ado, let's meet our four finalists and their prized Pokémon!" Wallace said, as the vines stretched them over the pond to the contestant stage. He offered Althea his hand as they walked from the platform to the stage. "My darling Althea, would you do the honors?"

"Of course, dearest Wallace." Althea smiled back at him. They hadn't really been able to contain themselves even on camera, but still hadn't let anything slip. People hopefully just thought they were playing out the manuscript. "From Lavaridge Town in Hoenn, Olivia and Ginnie!" Olivia and Vulpix entered the stage through a flame wheel, as the coordinator smiled her broadest smile and waved excitedly.

"From Undella Town in Unova, Hayden and Lily!" Wallace announced. Through a veil of flower petals a handsome young man walked in, waving and smiling, together with a stunning Lilligant.

"From Snowbelle City in Kalos, Nicholas and Orion!" Althea said, greeting the contestant riding in on his Aurorus through a veil of diamond dust-like snow and ice.

"An last but certainly not least, from Littleroot Town, Hoenn's very own Pokémon League Champion and her companion, May and Phoenix!" The cheers from the crowd now reached an absolutely mind-boggling level as May and her Blaziken did a coordinated karate kick, their feet blazing with flames. They did their standard pose, as May waved and smiled to audience before they took their place next to Nicholas and Orion.

Wallace and Althea proceeded to interview the contestants, asking for strategies and personal goals as they were supposed to. It was clear that all four finalists had their own fan-bases, and it was also clear that many of May's fans that normally weren't interested in contests had joined in to cheer for their idol on this special day. Finally, the finalists returned backstage, and it was truly time to get the show started. Althea glanced at the clock. Still on schedule. Good.

"I think there is only one thing left for us to do now, don't you think, Morning Dew?" Althea said, sending Wallace a meaning look.

"Indeed you are correct, Radiant Rose." He said, offering her his hand, which she accepted gracefully.

"Let the Grand Final…" Althea said.

"…of the 50th annual Contest Spectacular…" Wallace continued.

"…begin!" Both of them finished.

While the crowd cheered, the hosts headed backstage, immediately surrounded by hairdressers, make up-artists and tailors, checking that their creations still looked absolutely perfect.

"I'll head to the green room." Wallace said, making sure he remembered correctly.

"Yes, I'll have to be back on stage in twenty seconds when the theme song is finished." Althea confirmed. Wallace took her hand and gave it a squeeze.

"See you later." He said as Althea took her place behind the curtain, waiting for the director to call "action!" She smiled and nodded to him, focusing on the task at hand. No screw-ups during the final. They had been doing brilliantly so far, and she would have to properly thank Rosemary and Milotic later on. Right now, there was no time for that.

This was going to be a very long, but exhilarating, day.

~Break before the final battle~

"So, our Champion against the Snow Crystal from Kalos. What do you think, rosebud? Exciting battle ahead?" Wallace said, as he accompanied Althea backstage. They would both now be on the arena for the final battle, no more green room interviewing. Althea pondered for a moment.

"Tricky. Blaziken has the definite type advantage, granted, but we also know by now that Aurorus actually knows moves like Earth Power, Zen Headbutt and Aqua Tail, which Blaziken are weak against. They are both strong coordinators and trainers, and pretty close in score from earlier today, May leading by only a point. It could go either way."

"My thoughts exactly." Wallace agreed. "It'll be an interesting face-off, this last battle."

"Hosts, enter the stage in one minute."

"Copy."

"Rosemary, you ready?" Althea asked her Pokémon, who twirled around and nodded. Althea smiled. Always claiming the spotlight.

"Milotic?" Wallace asked his companion, who nodded and blinked to show she had understood. Humble and composed, like her trainer.

"Hosts, twenty seconds."

"Copy."

"I can't wait till tonight." Wallace murmured.

"For what? For everything to be over? For the party?"

"You know what I'm waiting for, rosebud, and I know you're too." He winked at her. Althea's heart skipped a beat. Sure they would get to spend more time together in the evening, but was there something he was planning? What was that?

"Ten, nine, eight…" Althea mentally slapped herself. Focus!

"Right, let's go." She said. They went to stand in the dead center of the curtain, Rosemary by Althea's side and Milotic beside Wallace.

"…three, two, one. Action!"

The curtains were drawn and Rosemary and Milotic quickly cast their now trademark mist, petals and leaves combination in front of their trainers and themselves, so as not to reveal them all just yet. Milotic and Rosemary took the stage, and Rosemary created an arch in the mist made of flowering roses. Milotic filled the arch with water, revealing the image of their trainers behind the water arch. Wallace offered Althea his hand once again and their walked on stage through the arch, through the water, without getting wet.

Waving to the audience, the hosts cast a glance at each other, briefly. One battle left, then the prizes… and then Mr. Rouge would officially call the Contest Spectacular over for this year. Wallace smiled and bowed to the audience, but his mind was now on the woman beside him. The Radiant Rose. His Radiant Rose. And tonight, he would announce them as an official couple. That was the only way to go, and deep down he knew Althea was aware of this too.


	11. Chapter 11 - The Rosebud and the Dewdrop

Chapter 11 – The Rosebud and the Dewdrop

"That's all for the 50th annual Contest Spectacular!" Althea announced to the audience and the camera, knowing the credits were now rolling for those watching at home.

"But here in the beautiful Lilycove City the action continues in the form of celebrations, and I hope all of you watching at home have a pleasant evening from now on as well!" Wallace continued.

"A great thanks to all contestants and their Pokémon, the organizers…"

"…the judges, and to you, most beloved audience…"

"…and of course, our best of congratulations to the winner of this spectacular event: Hoenn's own Pokémon League Champion, from Littleroot Town, May Maple and her stunning Phoenix!"

"Absolutely!" Wallace smiled and turned to Althea. "Thank you, Althea, for being such a lovely co-hostess of mine; it has been a real pleasure working with you."

"And I thank you in return, Wallace, the pleasure is all mine. And now, we bid you good evening…"

"…and good night." Wallace wrapped it up, as the camera was lifted into the air to show one last shot of the whole arena.

"Hosts, you're done, please return backstage." Althea breathed out a sigh of relief. It was finally over.

"Copy." They said simultaneously. Althea accepted the hand she was offered from her co-host as they headed backstage, where Rosemary and Milotic were waiting for them.

"Brilliant, absolutely brilliant, you were a wondrous sight to behold today!" The director said, coming towards the hosts, looking thoroughly exhausted yet truly pleased. "Excellent work, all of you." he continued, nodding towards the Pokémon. "Your assistants are waiting for you by door E, they have more information about how to proceed from here."

"Thank you for your kind words." Althea said, nodding. "You must be relieved that all this is over."

"Oh, I am Miss Althea, I am indeed." The director said, running his fingers through his messy hair.

"Thank you very much from our part as well." Wallace said, speaking for Milotic and himself. "I guess we will meet later on? Sleep can wait until tomorrow, no?" The director chuckled.

"You're right of course, Mr. Wallace, tonight is not for sleeping. And yes, I'll see you later." With a smile and a nod he ran off, probably to assemble the film crews for feedback and instructions on how to proceed.

"Let's go." Althea said. "Betty and Thomas are waiting for us." Wallace nodded.

"Can't have them waiting much longer, can we?"

~Later on~

*Knock, knock, knock!*

Wallace knocked on the door to Althea's quarters and waited. It was time they left for the party the Contest Spectacular organization hosted for the staff and the contestants. Speeches, cocktails and dancing… or something like that, most likely. In truth, Wallace had much rather stayed in their quarters with Althea, lain down on the couch with the photo album dedicated to them. They had looked through most of it by now, shared laughs, memories and a few tears here and there as they took a trip down memory lane together. Just the two of them, a photo album and a glass of wine each… or today, maybe authentic Kalosian champagne would have been more appropriate.

Wallace snapped out of his thoughts as the door in front of him opened, and his jaw dropped to the floor. He searched for words, but for once, he actually had trouble finding them.

"Sweet Arceus, rosebud…" he murmured, taking in the sight in front of him. Althea tilted her head to the side.

"Like what you see, dewdrop?" She asked, amused she had actually managed to make him speechless simply by putting that little extra thought in her appearance for once.

Wallace was at a loss for words. Althea had literally become the Radiant Rose. Instead of a kimono, which she usually wore, she was now wearing a deep red dress, the skirt looked like it was made of huge rose petals, the top hugging her every curve tightly. The dress had only one strap, and that strap was covered in roses. Her hair was in an elegant up-do, making the green color a grassy bed for a few, smaller red roses. She wore the same earrings with ruby roses as earlier, but now they were accompanied by a simple, silver bracelet with the same ruby roses, a matching necklace and even a ring.

"My love, I have never known the true meaning of beauty before, but now I finally see what it really means." Wallace said his voice filled with awe. "It's… breathtaking. You are indeed the Radiant Rose."

Althea blushed. He was so sweet, and even at a loss of words, he was well-spoken.

"And you are the Morning Dew, Wallace." She said, stepping out of the door and closing it behind her.

He was the Morning Dew. Shimmering in white and turquoise, with a hint of purple, Wallace was a stunning sight to behold as well. His trademark colors suited him more than well in different constellations, and he never missed the mark of making it look perfect. He cleared his throat and offered Althea his arm.

"Shall we go rosebud?" Althea took his arm, by now automatically, without having to think about it.

"We shall, dewdrop."

They started walking, headed for the party in the Ballroom Hall, as it was called. Althea sighed. Wallace stopped and turned to face her, looking at her with an expression that clearly demanded an answer to an unspoken question. Althea smiled, genuinely.

"…I don't like big parties." She said. "But you already know this." Wallace returned her smile.

"We don't have to stay long. Just the formalities, you know? Besides, we'll be there together."

"That's really the only thing that keeps me from staying in my quarters tonight." Althea admitted. "I'll try to enjoy myself."

"I hope I can be of some assistance in making it easier for you." Wallace replied, gently caressing her cheek and kissing her passionately. Althea closed her eyes and kissed him back, wishing they could just go back to their quarters and continue kissing instead. That, however, wasn't an option right now.

They broke apart, smiling at one another. It was going to be just fine.

"Come now, rosebud, let's go get this over with." Wallace said, encouraging her. She nodded.

"I'll be there with you."

Soon, they arrived at the Ballroom Hall and stepped inside. They were standing on the top of a staircase that led down to the hall itself, and as soon as they did, an announcer by the door grabbed his microphone.

"Ladies and gentlemen, Miss Althea and Mr. Wallace!" He said. The crowd downstairs looked up and applauded their entrance. Althea curtseyed as Wallace bowed, both with as much elegance and grace as they could possibly muster. Hand in hand, they walked down the stairs and grabbed a glass of Kalosian champagne each from the waiter by the staircase.

Althea sighed again. The day had been long, but it was going to be a long night as well. Wallace put an assuring hand around her waist and guided her through the crowd to Chaz and Lisia, whom he had spotted by one of the many small tables.

"Evening, my dear niece, Chaz." Wallace greeted as they reached them. "Mind if we make you company?"

"No need to ask, uncle." Lisia said, motioning for them to make themselves comfortable. "You're just in time, Mr. Rouge is about to give a speech, and after that it's dancing and open microphone the rest of the evening, nothing special. No one really has the energy for much else, of course."

"Oh good, sounds like we don't need to worry about formalities too much this evening, rosebud." Wallace said, smiling at Althea, who looked relieved. Lisia giggled, and Chaz chuckled a little.

"I daresay you two have done your part for this Contest already, with style as always." Chaz said.

"You two were on fire today!" Lisia chimed in. "It was so smooth, so natural, so… I don't even know what to say, you bring a new meaning to the word professional." At this, Althea couldn't help but let out a tingling laugh. Wallace chuckled as well, but her laughter sent a tingling sensation down his spine. This… woman…

"Compliment accepted, but don't you think you should be giving yourself a round of applause as well? I mean, being a judge is a tough job, and the pressure is on when it's a very special Contest Spectacular like this one." Althea said.

"Well, we've had a thrilling experience, I'd say." Lisia nodded, looking at Chaz. "I have nothing to complain about. I mean, of course, the fans have high expectations, but I think that a team of judges with the two of us and Casey was quite a balanced composition."

"It was; you're correct." Wallace said, nodding approvingly to his niece's insight. "Now, let's just hope this evening goes as smoothly as everything else."

"Ladies and gentlemen!" A familiar voice boomed through the Ballroom Hall. Mr. Rufus Rouge had entered the stage, ready to make a speech. The crowd's attention now turned towards him, and the hosts turned around in their chairs to see him better.

The chairman's speech felt like an eternity, when he bid them all welcome, talked about the planning and executing of the contest, thanking all the people involved, many by name (including the judges, the hosts, the director and so forth) and the future… and what felt like many things more. Althea felt a burning gaze and turned her head slightly to look at Wallace in the corner of her eye. He wasn't listening to the speech at all. He was busy looking at her. Smiling, satisfied with the attention, Althea turned her gaze back to Mr. Rouge, not really seeing him.

Wallace continued looking at Althea instead of listening to the chairman. Whatever the man had to say it couldn't possibly be more interesting than observing the woman in front of him. So beautiful. Delicate. Elegant. Graceful. Breathtaking. There was no words superlative enough to give a verbal description of her justice. And she was all his.

In the corner of his eye he noticed his niece casting a glance at him. He caught her eye, smiling, letting her know she hadn't been mistaken in what she thought she was seeing. Lisia raised an eyebrow at him, and then smiled back. Discreetly, she pointed at him, then at Althea, and then back at him, as if asking if they really were serious. Wallace nodded reassuringly. Positive. Lisia might as well know the truth already, he thought, it would be out soon enough anyway. His niece's smile broadened, and she looked excited.

"Really?" She mouthed, completely silent. Wallace nodded again. With her eyes sparkling in excitement, Lisia tried to concentrate on Mr. Rouge's speech again, but found it hard now that she knew her uncle and her number one idol actually had a relationship, something she had dreamed of for a long time. She had seen them in contests together, performing the most stunning routines and battling it out as equals, being best friends and rivals at the same time, and she had always wondered what it would be like if the two of them actually became a couple. For Lisia personally, it meant she would get to see her idol more often, which she wouldn't complain about. Althea was to her the ultimate coordinator, equally skilled in choreography and battle. They had gotten to know each other somewhat during the last couple of months, and got along really well, talking about strategy, visual appeal, art, battle technique and so forth. Lisia felt like she herself had grown more as a coordinator over the time she had spent with Althea than during her last two years of mentoring and competing.

"…and that would be all for my part, ladies and gentlemen." Mr. Rouge finally said, lifting his glass of champagne. "Now a toast for a most successful 50th annual Contest Spectacular!"

After the toast, the crowd started applauding and Mr. Rouge took a bow before leaving the stage. The toastmaster informed that the microphone would be open for anyone to use until the band started playing an hour later, and then the chatter consumed.

"An hour until the band starts playing?" Althea said, turning around to face the others again. "Better get something to drink then, I guess." Wallace chuckled and rose from his seat.

"And pray tell, rosebud, what would you fancy this evening? Something Kalosianly sophisticated or a bit more classic Kantonian? Or something completely different?" Now it was Althea's turn to giggle.

"Oh dear dewdrop, I would very much like something homely Hoennian. Surprise me." She smiled at him.

"I'll do my best, dear." Wallace smirked, bowing dramatically before heading over to the cocktail table. Lisia, not wanting to reveal to Althea Wallace had just let the truth about them slip, but still confront her about it a bit, started a conversation:

"So, Althea, have you enjoyed working with my uncle again? I mean, you've done it before, but that feels like ages ago. How has it been?" Althea blinked. Did she know? Something in her voice and body language told her the blue-haired young woman knew. Althea decided to go with it, smiled and chuckled.

"It's been a thrill working with Wallace, as always." She said, not wanting to actually lie or hide anything. It seemed unnecessary, since she was talking to Lisia and Chaz. "Looking back now, I can honestly say I've missed working with him. I find we complement each other really well, both on the battlefield and in the routines, and it's all been an exhilarating ride, this whole Contest. Yes, I can truthfully say I've enjoyed it immensely." Althea smiled, taking a sip of her champagne, as she still had some left in the glass. At the same moment, Wallace returned with two glasses of Fortree Nectar, one of which he offered to Althea before sitting down beside her.

"Uncle, I just asked Althea if she's enjoyed working with you, and got a positive answer. What about you then, have you enjoyed yourself?" Lisia asked her uncle quite straightforwardly, giving him a meaning look. Wallace looked at Althea, chuckling lightly.

"Enjoyed it? I've had the time of my life. No, wait, this needs to be done properly…" he suddenly said, standing up. Althea felt a wave of realization hit her, and she grasped his hand.

"Are you going to…?"

"Unless you stop me. I won't do it if you say no." Wallace said, searching her face for an answer. Althea slowly let go off his hand, nodding, and then smiled a genuine smile.

"If you feel like this is the way you want to do it, go ahead." Wallace smirked back. He nodded, and then headed for the stage. Lisia clasped her hand over her mouth, and Chaz looked a tad confused.

"Is he going to…?" Lisia asked, already knowing the answer.

"It seems so." Althea said, already turning pink. "Always liked being dramatic, hasn't he?" Lisia giggled.

"It's a Sootopolitan habit, I think." She said.

"Ladies and gentlemen, may I have your attention, please." Wallace had reached the microphone (that by now had been used for countless more or less formal and quite boring speeches). Everyone turned their gaze to him and cheered. Some started looking as to where his co-hostess was, and a few people even pointed in Althea's direction. She felt herself blush a little more. This, though, she could take.

"Thank you, thank you." Wallace said, silencing the noise around him. "I have to say, what a time we have put behind us. I do believe I'm not exaggerating if I say that all of us here tonight have made the best Contest Spectacular in history, correct?" Apparently the crowd thought so too, at least if one was going to believe the sound it made. "My niece here, Lisia, asked me if I've enjoyed myself, and more specifically if I've enjoyed working with my co-hostess, the brightest blooming rose in the garden of Hoenn, Althea."

Wallace now caught Althea's gaze, revealing to everyone where she was. She blushed in the brightest red colors, matching her dress.

"I shall answer my niece's question for everyone to hear, because all of you deserve to know the answer. We have gotten to know you wonderful people, and you have hopefully gotten to know us as well. Therefore, there is no need for secrecy."

He paused, listening to the whispers and murmurs flying around in the Ballroom Hall. Then he continued:

"Truthfully, I said yes to the job in the first place knowing that Althea had been asked as well, and I finally, properly said yes when I knew for certain she had accepted the job. Working with her again after years away from Contests was… amazing, in every way. Always organized, creative, taking everything she does to the point of perfection, and even beyond. It was, I daresay, even more magical than I could've ever remembered it being.

"Now, our most efficient assistants, Thomas and Betty…" Wallace found them by the cocktail table, and they waved to show their presence, "…I really have you to thank for the fact that on the party after the first day of the competition, something extraordinary happened. Althea had left for some fresh air, and I was looking for her. You two angels told me that she had left me a message, the message being that I would know where to find her. I did." He turned his gaze to Althea again.

"I did find her, and I asked her to dance, which was why I had looked for her in the first place. We danced under the stars, and in the magic of the moment, I made a confession to her."

The crowd had now grown silent, but there was an excitement in the air. People were sensing where this was going, but they were hanging on to Wallace's every word.

"There and then, by the Lilycove lighthouse, I confessed to her I had been in love with her for years, and seeing her again made the old flame spark to life in my heart, burning stronger than ever. The happiest moment of my life was when she told me the feelings were mutual. Althea, my love…" He stretched out a hand in her direction. "…please join me, for there is something more I want to, no, need to say."

The now emotionally excited crowd parted as Althea gracefully made her way up to Wallace on the stage. He smiled at her, and she returned it, a single tear of happiness sliding down her cheek. He took her hand, and then continued:

"Rosebud. My rosebud. That night by the lighthouse, I was kicking myself for wasting so much time, not knowing you shared my feelings all along, and you said you were equally sorry it had taken so long. Too long. Over the past three weeks, we have been spending every single evening together, sharing memories, moments, and one or twenty bottles of Kalosian wine…" At this, giggles were heard from the audience, "…and each time I've been reminded of the time we actually could have spent together, but haven't. I do know, however, having waited this long that I never, ever want to part with you again."

He gave her a meaning look, as if asking her to stop him now if she didn't agree for him to continue. Althea's eyes widened. Whatever she had expected, it certainly wasn't this… but she found herself nodding, smiling, and feeling a bit dizzy, now aware of what was to come.

"Althea, the rose of my life…" Wallace said, kneeling in front of her. The audience gave a simultaneous gasp. Were they really watching the moment every single form of media had been waiting for for years and years? Wallace took out the most beautiful golden ring, complete with a ruby rose and an aquamarine water droplet on, holding it out to Althea.

"…will you accept this humble ring and become my wife?"

A wave of emotions hit Althea. Never had she been happier. All these years, and they never admitted their feelings, and now, their time had come, and Wallace was certainly not going to waste it. With tears of joy now streaming down her face, she took his hand in both of hers and managed to say:

"…I'd love nothing more, dewdrop, nothing more in this world."

The cheers from the crowd felt stronger than during the final itself when Wallace slipped the ring on Althea's finger, revealing a similar one on his own left hand. Putting the microphone away he embraced her and kissed her, with more passion and joy than ever before, and she kissed him back. Soon they broke apart, grinning widely at each other. Wallace swept her up in his arms bridal style and walked off the stage to the never-ending cheers from the crowd. Someone close to the stage jumped up, grabbed the microphone and lifted his glass of drink:

"To Wallace and Althea!"

"To Wallace and Althea!" The crowd chanted lifting their glasses as well and toasting for them.

"To the rosebud…" Wallace murmured gently in Althea's ear.

"…and the dewdrop." Althea finished the sentence, accompanied by a broad smile. They kissed again.

"The dance is starting." Wallace murmured. "May I dance the night away with you, my dearest fiancée?" Althea felt a shiver go up her spine when he called her fiancée. Fiancée…

"I like the sound of that, my husband-to-be." She said.


	12. Chapter 12 - Epilogue

Chapter 12 – Epilogue

"Mr. Wallace, Miss Althea, congratulations on your engagement, when are you planning on getting married?"

"Miss Althea, where are you going to get your dress?"

"Mr. Wallace, what is the guest list going to look like?"

"Miss Althea, what would the ideal location for your wedding be?"

"Sorry, but Mr. Wallace and Miss Althea are busy, please excuse them!" Thomas said who together with Betty managed to get the newly engaged couple out of the horde of paparazzi to the S.S. Tidal, waiting to take them towards Sootopolis and Althea's island.

"Well, this is goodbye, I guess." Betty said, a bit of sadness in her tone. "I hope we will meet again someday Miss Althea, Mr. Wallace, it has been a pleasure getting to know you."

"The pleasure is all ours, Betty, Thomas." Wallace said. "And I'm quite positive we will meet again, especially if you'll be staying in the Contest business."

"Oh, I don't think we're leaving." Thomas said, grinning widely. "It's too much fun. Look, we even got to witness the historical moment when the two most popular coordinators ever got engaged!" At this, both Wallace and Althea laughed.

"Well, I sincerely hope you'll be with us to share the 'historical moment' these two coordinators actually get married." Althea smiled. Thomas' and Betty's jaws dropped.

"You mean… we…" Betty said, pointing at herself and Thomas.

"…are invited?" Thomas finished the sentence.

"Of course!" Althea exclaimed.

"Didn't I already thank you for delivering Althea's message to me? Without that, this might not have happened, you never know." Wallace said, placing an arm around his bride-to-be.

"That's… it would be a great honor." Betty breathed, not quite sure if she was dreaming or not.

"It's settled then! You will receive your invitations as soon as we got everything figured out." Althea smiled.

"We'll be looking forward to that." Thomas said, grinning from ear to ear.

"Thomas, we need to go, the ship's leaving." Betty said, grabbing Thomas' arm. He nodded.

"Let's go. Goodbye Miss Althea, Mr. Wallace!"

"Please, both of you…" Wallace said. "It's Wallace."

"And Althea." Althea said, reassuringly.

"Well then, goodbye Wallace and Althea, have a safe trip home." Betty said, smiling, before dragging Thomas along back to the docks.

"They're adorable." Althea said with a slight giggle.

"Agreed." Wallace said, nodding, looking down at his fiancée. "Fancy a drink under a parasol up on sun deck, love?"

"Sounds like a plan, let's go." Althea said.

~On sun deck~

Althea took a sip of her Fortree Nectar and watched as Rosemary and Milotic enjoyed themselves in the pool. A smile formed on her face. Those two were enjoying each other's company day in and day out, it seemed, never growing tired of each other. That sounded familiar, somehow…

"So, rosebud…" Wallace said, with his arm draped around her in the comfortable couple couch, stealing a kiss, "…I guess we have some stuff to figure out, since I went ahead and caused this mess…" They both grinned, looking at their identical engagement rings. "…don't you think?"

"Yes, and I've been thinking." Althea said. "I have something to propose." Wallace cocked an eyebrow.

"Pray tell, love." Althea took a deep breath.

"Well, you can't leave the gym, and I can't leave my Roselia. I propose we build our home on Lanaru Island right next to Sootopolis. The environment is Roselia-friendly, and it's close to the gym as well. Besides, I could never live enclosed by the rocky walls of Sootopolis. What do you say?"

Wallace pondered for a moment. The thought was already growing on him. He nodded.

"That sounds like a really good and fair plan." He said. "I'd be able to return home every day, the Roselia would be in an environment suited for them, and you wouldn't have to be enclosed in Sootopolis, though I'd still be able to go there whenever I need. Plus, we would be close to both a Pokémon Center and a PokéMart, which would come in handy."

"Glad you like the thought."

"…we just need to get it built first."

"True. Luckily enough, I have connections to the company that built my current villa. I'll be in touch with them, and then I'll have to sell the villa I live in now."

"And I might as well sell my house in Sootopolis." Wallace nodded. He then sighed and took another sip of his drink. Althea turned her gaze to him, raising an eyebrow. Wallace smiled at her.

"I was just thinking about the fact that we have to separate again as soon as we reach Sootopolis. I'm not looking forward to it."

"Well, do you have a challenger tomorrow?"

"…not that I know of…" Wallace said slowly. Althea leaned in and whispered in his ear, making him shiver:

"Then why not spend the night with me?" She gently kissed and nibbled his earlobe before leaning back, waiting for an answer. Wallace put his drink back on the table and turned towards her fully.

"You don't need to ask me twice." He answered, embracing her in a loving, passionate kiss. Althea melted into him, not being able to stop smiling through the kisses.

"I love you, rosebud." Wallace murmured when they broke apart for air.

"And I love you too, dewdrop."


End file.
